Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam, for whom the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for crimes against humanity, is in detention, the ICC prosecutor said Monday.
“I have received confidential information stating he has been arrested,” Luis Moreno-Ocampo told AFP.
“We hope he can soon be in the Hague” to face judgement, he said, adding that he planned to contact the “Libyan transitional government” later in the day.
Moreno-Ocampo said the ICC “is ready to help Libyans to deal with their difficult past” and ensure that “no crime remains unpunished”.
Earlier, the chairman of Libya’s rebel National Transitional Council told Al-Jazeera television from Benghazi he had “information that Saif al-Islam has been captured”.
“He is being kept in a secure place under close guard until he is handed over to the judiciary,” Abdel Jalil said, without giving a date or place for the reported capture of Gaddafi’s son.
Before the revolt which erupted in February, Saif al-Islam was increasingly seen as the successor to his father, despite publicly ruling out any dynastic ambitions in the North African country.
He long served as the face of the regime in the West as he appeared in suits and ties and spoke fluent English.
