By George Grant.
Tripoli, 19 December:
The Ministry of Justice is planning to amend a Qaddafi-era law that allows civilians to be tried . . .[restrict]in military courts, Justice Minister Salah Margani said on Wednesday.
The announcement comes just a matter of hours after the military court in Benghazi announced its decision to drop its investigation into killing of General Abdul Fatah Younis last July.
Asked by the Libya Herald if the two were connected, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said that the law was still a proposal at this stage and that the court’s decisions were not a matter for the government.
Margani was somewhat more forthcoming, saying that “Abdul Jalil is a civilian and the new law will apply to him. His case will be transferred to a civilian court with all the guarantees of fair justice.”
In order to be ratified, the law will need the signature of the prime minister and will then be sent to the National Congress for scrutiny.
It still remains unclear, however, if the proposed law provides an adequate explanation for the Benghazi court’s decision to drop its investigation into the Younis murder, which extends more broadly than just Mustafa Abdul Jalil.
Moreover, it is being reported this evening that the Benghazi military court has not transferred the case to a civilian tribunal but to a national body by the name of the High Commission of Military Justice.
Further details with regards to this commission, its mandate and the details surrounding the courts decision will be published as they emerge. [/restrict]
