Tripoli, 28 January 2013:
Plans to try Abdullah Senussi and Saif Al-Islam together have been considered but no decision has been made . . .[restrict]as yet, according to an official from the Attorney-General’s office.
Trying Senussi with Saif is seen as unlikely because the two are being held indepentently, Senussi by the authorities in Tripoli and Saif in Zintan. The Zintanis have made it clear that Qaddafi’s son will be tried there.
Regardless of who he is tried with, spokesman Taha Bara reconfirmed today, Monday, that the trial of Abdullah Senussi, Qaddafi’s brother-in-law and former intelligence chief, would definately start within the next two weeks.
Barra said that the prosecution had completed its investigations into Senussi’s case and that he would be charged in court. The file into the case contained 2,000 pages of evidence to convict him, the spokesman said.
The investigations related to the assassination of Qaddafi’s opponents and the regime’s brutal attempt to suppress the Libyan revolution.
Senussi was arrested in Mauritania ten months ago in a “sting” operation involving French and Mauritanian intelligence. Mauritania extradited him on 5 September. He has also been indicted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court which wants him handed over. So does France, which also wants to charge him with crimes. The Libyan authorties have insisted, however, that he will be tried in Libya.
With growing public discontent at the performance of both the government and the General National Congress and calls for mass demonstrations against both on the second anniversary of the revolution in three week’s time, the trial of either Senussi or Saif could be seen as politically expedient on the eve of the celebration. [/restrict]
