Libya sentences Gadaffi's son to death
The Tripoli court has sentenced Saif al-Islam Gadaffi, son of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, to death by firing squad for bolstering war crimes during the 2011 Arab Spring Uprising. He is being held captive at north-western town of Zintan, who refuse to surrender him to Tripoli. The Libyan court has also passed the sentence to eight others, including former Intelligence head, Abdullah al-Senussi.
Following the arrest of a human rights attorney representing over 1000 prisoners who died in Abu Salim jail of Tripoli in 1996, fierce protests upsurged in front of Benghazi's police headquarters on 15 February 2011. On 17 February, Libyan military and security forces fired live ammunition on protestors. The security personnel withdrew from Benghazi on 18 February after being overwhelmed by protestors.
On 28 February 2011, after the slaughter of about 1000 people due to the uprising, Sail al-Islam Gaddafi denied the charges levied against his father's government of killing civilians. "Show me a single attack, show me a single bomb," he said to a reporter of CNN.
The protests spread across the country leading to the formation of the interim governing body, The National Transitional Council by the forces opposing the Gaddafi government. The battle continued until the rebel forces captured the capital city of Tripoli and gained lost territories in August 2011. On 16 September, UN recognised the Transitional Council as the legal representative of Libya replacing the Gaddafi government.
Following the revolution that began in February, the United Nations Security Council had referred the matter to be investigated by the International Criminal Court.
The international Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants against Colonel Muamman Gaddafi along with his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi. The warrant was issued for ordering attacks on civilians during the Libyan uprising. The warrant stated that although Saif al-Islam did not hold any official position in Libya, he is the "most influential person" in the inner circle of Col. Gaddafi.
Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed by rebel forces in 20 October 2011. The National Transitional Council declared the official end of the war and the "Liberation of Libya" on 23 October 2011
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured by militia fighters near Obari and flown to their base in the northern town of Zintan. Zintan fighters had stated that they planned to keep him until they think they can hand him over to the capital, Tripoli. As he was wanted by the ICC for trial, the Interim Prime Minister assured that he would receive a fair trial.
Saif al-Islam appeared in a Zintan court which further fuelled the conflict between ICC and the Libyan government. Libya was reluctant to hand him over to the ICC where he would only be given a jail-sentence. The ICC had passed a resolution that if Tripoli failed to hand him over to ICC, it would be reported to the UN Security Council.
