ICC tells Libya to hand over Saif Gaddafi

Tripoli, Apr 5 (ANI): The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly told the Libyan authorities to surrender slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, who is wanted in the Hague for crimes against humanity.

Said was indicted in June along with his father and the Gaddafi regime's intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi for killing and persecuting civilians in the early days of the uprising ended Gaddafi's four-decade dictatorship.

Libyan authorities have said that they have planned to put Saif on trial, but despite requests from The Hague, in the Netherlands they have so far taken no action to hand him over.

In a written ruling published on Wednesday, judges at the court rejected a request by Libya to postpone handing over Saif and urged the country's rulers to 'proceed immediately with the surrender,' The Daily Star reports.

According to the report, Human Rights Watch urged Libya to act on the order.

"It is imperative that Libyan authorities start preparing to surrender Saif al-Islam. This is what co-operation with the court means," the report quoted Liz Evenson, senior counsel with the group's International Justice Program, as saying.

Saif was arrested in November by rebel fighters in Libya's remote southern region, and has been held largely without access to the outside world since then. (ANI)