SNE Special Projects news http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk Latest security industry updates and news posted as they happen posterous.com Wed, 23 May 2012 23:53:54 -0700 Libyans prepare to vote http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libyans-prepare-to-vote-62873 http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libyans-prepare-to-vote-62873 According to the Field Coordination Department at the High National
Elections Commission, HNEC, in Libya, the number of registered voters in the
elections for the General National Congress has exceeded two million and a
half voters. The number of registered voters registered in the 1548
registration centres in various parts of Libya by Sunday May 20 was
2,583,572, bringing the total registered voters to about 75.16% of the total
of those who are eligible to vote in next month's general election.
According to the HNEC's last report the percentage of women who have
registered for the June 19 election has reached 44%.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 22 May 2012 22:38:02 -0700 Benghazi fresh violence http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/benghazi-fresh-violence http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/benghazi-fresh-violence A rocket-propelled grenade on Tuesday hit the offices of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Benghazi, the Libyan city that gave
birth to the country's recent revolution, according to the organization's
spokesperson. "The premises of our delegation were hit by an RPG rocket but
there were no casualties," said Soaad Messudi. Thirty-five international and
local staff members normally work at the targeted building, which is located
in the western part of Benghazi. The ICRC has been working on the ground in
Libya since the uprising against Gaddafi first exploded in February 2011,
according to Messudi. The ICRC has maintained a neutral stance while
undertaking humanitarian operations there ever since. A branch of the Sahara
Bank was also hit by a rocket attack in Benghazi on the same day, although
there were no injuries, witnesses said.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 22 May 2012 06:49:18 -0700 Criticism of NTC continues ahead of elections http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/criticism-of-ntc-continues-ahead-of-elections http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/criticism-of-ntc-continues-ahead-of-elections The NTC (National Transitional Council) is national in name only. There is
no real central government in Libya, and many parts of the country are not
ruled at all, but in chaos because of disputes between local militias. The
militias were often formed by traditional tribal leaders, or just some local
guy who was charismatic enough to organize his own little army during last
year's rebellion. Getting these gunmen to disarm has proved difficult, but
not impossible. The required negotiations take weeks or months and the NTC
has not got enough qualified negotiators to speed up the process. Meanwhile
most Libyans want their Gaddafi-era welfare state back but bigger and
better. Gaddafi held power for so long, despite his bizarre behavior and
mismanagement, by spending over half the oil income on a shabby, but
effective, welfare state. Anyone who misbehaved had their benefits cut off.
But Gaddafi would also cut benefits for the extended family of those who
opposed him. This was a remarkably effective way to run a police state. With
Gaddafi and his secret police gone, people want their welfare state and not
a shabby one either. But without control of the entire country, the interim
government has no way to deliver the expected goodies. Then there's the
corruption, with many militia leaders inclined to grab local welfare funds
for themselves. The new Libya is a work in progress and will probably
continue to be one for some time.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Wed, 16 May 2012 23:26:27 -0700 Libya : Saif refuses Lawyer http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-saif-refuses-lawyer http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-saif-refuses-lawyer Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son has refused to appoint a Libyan
lawyer to defend him against accusations of murder and torture during a
crackdown on a revolt against his father's rule, it has been said. Libyan
Deputy U.N. Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the U.N. Security Council on
Wednesday that Libyan law prevented Saif al-Islam Gaddafi from standing
trial without a lawyer. "This matter has mainly got to do with Saif al-Islam
Gaddafi, who until now refuses appointing a lawyer to defend him. Hence the
matter is not in the hands of the Libyan authorities but rather the
defendant himself but there are no obstacles towards hiring a lawyer to
defend him," he said. Libya's government and the war crimes court have
argued for months over where he should be tried. Libya will eventually have
to outline to the ICC how it intends to try Saif al-Islam. If the court
concludes that Libya cannot or will not try him and is not cooperating with
the ICC case, it can refer Tripoli to the U.N. Security Council. "I would
like to assure the council and everyone that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi will have
a lawyer because Libyan law does not permit the trying of any defendant in
criminal cases without the presence of a defence lawyer". Dabbashi said.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 15 May 2012 23:37:47 -0700 Libya : Trouble in the East http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-trouble-in-the-east http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-trouble-in-the-east

Diplomats and other observers in Libya say that with elections one month away, the National Transitional Council is struggling to exert control over various militia prominent in the uprising. The situation is further complicated by tribal rivalries and a growing presence of Islamist militants in some areas. One source briefed by Western intelligence officials said that of particular concern is the city of Derna on the Mediterranean coast some 160 miles (260 kilometers) west of the Egyptian border. The source said that hundreds of Islamist militants are in and around the town, and there are camps where weapons and physical training are provided to militants. He said one official had described the area as "a disaster zone." Tensions have grown between local people and the militants. Last month, a number of Derna residents went to a camp on the outskirts of the city, according to the source, and forced militants to leave.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 15 May 2012 02:40:46 -0700 From Militia to Politics http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/from-militia-to-politics http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/from-militia-to-politics

Abdel Hakim Belhadj, one of Libya's most powerful militia leaders, is quitting to devote himself full-time to politics, an aide said yesterday, in a vote of confidence for the fragile transition from rebellion to democracy. Belhadj, a former Islamist militant who helped topple former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in last year's revolt, is to resign his post as head of the Tripoli Military Council and set up a political party, His party is unlikely to be able to register in time for Libya's first ever election on June 19, for a transitional assembly which will draft a constitution. With Islamists gaining in influence since Gaddafi's overthrow, Belhadj's party will be well placed to compete in fresh elections to be scheduled by the new assembly. "He will announce his political party," Anis Al-Sharif, head of Belhadj's office said adding that Belhadj had sent a letter to the ruling National Transitional Council on his resignation. "He also feels that the revolutionaries have done their job to oust the Gaddafi regime and now it's time to rebuild Libya, to move to a political state," he said.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Sun, 13 May 2012 22:43:25 -0700 Libyans prepare to vote http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libyans-prepare-to-vote http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libyans-prepare-to-vote By last Thursday 10th May, 11 days before the deadline for Libyans to
register to vote for first national elections since the overthrow of the
Gaddafi regime, just over a million, about 20% of the whole population of
5.5 million of Libyan electors, had registered to vote next month. The
deadline for registration was first set for 15th May and then extended by a
further one week. Interim government spokesman Naser al-Mania told the media
last Thursday that they were confident this figure will increase to over 50
percent by mid-May. He also said that a total of 500 candidates have
submitted their candidacy to the country's electoral commission ahead of the
19th June polls. To mark such an achievement the chairman of the Higher
National Elections Commission, HNEC, and the staff at the commission held a
small celebration during which the attendants sang the national anthem and
read verses from the Holy Quran. Earlier, Nuri Elabbar, the head of the High
National Election Commission, HNEC, confirmed that according to the last
available 2006 Census the maximum theoretical voters in Libya is about 3.4
million people. He forecast that the expected number of Libyans that would
actually register to vote, could reach about 2 million.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 08 May 2012 22:14:00 -0700 El-Keib brands gunmen as "outlaws" http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/el-keib-brands-gunmen-as-outlaws http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/el-keib-brands-gunmen-as-outlaws

Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib has branded gunmen who attacked his office in the capital Tripoli as "outlaws". In a televised speech he said the men had "pretended" to be rebel fighters to claim cash handouts offered as rewards for helping to topple Gaddafi. One security guard was killed when about 200 armed men, some carrying mortars, tried to storm the building on Tuesday. They were eventually repelled by security forces. "This afternoon, the building of the council of ministers came under attack by outlawed gunmen pretending to be revolutionaries but they are not," said Mr Keib “these outlaws claimed that their attack was for getting some cash allocated as rewards for the real revolutionaries." He added: "As the government asserts that it will deliver on its promises, it also announces that it will not give in to blackmail or to outlaws and will not negotiate under the threat of force." Three other security guards and one of the gunmen were also injured in the battle, Tripoli security official Khaled Besher.A group of demonstrators had gathered outside the offices on Tuesday morning, by noon, the crowd had grown to 200 people including gunmen from the western town of Yafran backed by about 50 trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers. Yafran is a town populated by members of the Berber ethnic minority located about 100km (60 miles) south-west of Tripoli. The demonstrators aired their grievances but then some of the gunmen forced their way into the building and opened fire, Mr Manaa said. Most people inside the building fled, including the finance minister and the deputy prime minister.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Thu, 03 May 2012 02:23:36 -0700 Ghanem wanted by Libya http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/ghanem-wanted-by-libya http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/ghanem-wanted-by-libya Libya had sought to question Muammar Gaddafi's former oil chief in a graft
inquiry before his body was found in the Danube river in Austria this week,
Prosecutor General Abdelaziz Al-Hasadi said on Wednesday. He declined to
elaborate on the investigation involving Ghanem, who as National Oil
Corporation head, ran the Libyan oil industry before defecting a year ago.
That role made Ghanem, a former premier who was also close to Gaddafi's son
Saif al-Islam, privy to potentially damaging information on oil deals with
Western governments and oil firms. Libya "issued a warrant to bring him in,
they only asked him to provide certain information but this warrant is
inactive on the international level". Libyan authorities sent the warrant to
Interpol around a month ago but had received "no decisive reply yet", he
added. Ghanem's lawyer had been in touch about the request. Ghanem, 69, was
one of the most powerful men in Gaddafi's Libya - effectively controlling
the purse strings of the government and the Gaddafi family. He would have
had enemies among Gaddafi's opponents because of his years at the centre of
power, as well as among the late leader's friends and kin because of his
decision to defect.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 01 May 2012 22:09:00 -0700 Palestinian President cancels trip to Tripoli amid security fears http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/palestinian-president-cancels-trip-to-tripoli http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/palestinian-president-cancels-trip-to-tripoli

The Palestinian president called off a planned trip to Libya yesterday after a militia group surrounded the headquarters of the caretaker Libyan government, an official said. The official said Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in Tunisia this week, was expected to go to Libya but cancelled because of security concerns. Early Tuesday, a militia surrounded the building of the National Transitional Council in Tripoli. Abbas was supposed to meet NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil there. This is just another example of the Libyan government failing to impose its authority on the country and shows that milities continue to control large parts of the country and capital.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 01 May 2012 00:06:34 -0700 Shukri Ghanem drowned http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/shukri-ghanem-drowned http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/shukri-ghanem-drowned Following the discovery of Shukri Ghanem's, Libya's former oil minister,
body on Sunday Austrian police have said that his death was unlikely to be
the result of foul play after a preliminary autopsy suggested that he
drowned. However his unusual demise came as officials were trying to
comprehend a 2009 deal that put Libya's main refinery, Ras Lanuf, in the
hands of a partnership between a state-owned company and a Dubai-based
consortium. Shukri was one of the key members of Gaddafi's inner sanctum
and was privy to all aspects of the deal and irregular requests from some
members of the Gaddafi clan for access to funds from the country's oil
sector. Ras Lanuf has remained closed since the Nato-backed campaign last
year. His death is likely to complicate attempts to understand the
partnership and what it meant for Libya's oil sector. Officials in Tripoli
believe the state was drastically shortchanged by the deal. An official in
Vienna, where Ghanem had lived with his family since fleeing Libya in June
last year, said on Monday that the 69-year-old had complained of feeling
unwell hours before he was found dead. Ghanem was one of the highest-profile
defections from the Gaddafi regime, fleeing to Tunisia in late-May, then
journeying to Rome and finally to Vienna. He described "unbearable violence"
that was rippling through Libya at the time as the reason for his departure.
He had since been working as a consultant and has maintained a low profile,
giving rare interviews to defend the controversial deal. A police spokesman
in Vienna said toxicology tests, including an examination of Ghanem's recent
cardiac function, were conducted on Monday and results would likely be ready
on Wednesday.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:35:18 -0700 Libya : Interim Government to remain in power http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-interim-government-to-remain-in-power http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-interim-government-to-remain-in-power After days of speculation and rumours regarding the interim government's
position the National Transitional Council (NTC) decided yesterday to keep
the interim government in power in the run up to a June election. The
council set up an interim government in November to take care of the
day-to-day running of services but both organizations have faced regular
criticism for its failure to impose its authority on a country still awash
with weapons. "Most (NTC) members decided to keep the government as it is
now," one NTC source said. "They thought it was better than make changes two
months before the elections." Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil confirmed
the government would stay on. "The government and NTC should cooperate
together for the elections to succeed," he told a news conference. "Time is
short for changing things (which) could affect the elections." An NTC
spokesman earlier this month said the council was reviewing the work of some
of the government's ministers with a view to possibly replacing some of
them. Jalil last week denied a report the interim government had been
sacked, the latest in a series of claims and counter-claims that have
created an atmosphere of confusion six months after the conflict ended.
Jalil said the interim government still had to ensure security ahead of the
election and collect weapons from the country's array of militias.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:08:52 -0700 Libya : Fighting erupts in Kufra http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-fighting-erupts-in-kufra http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-fighting-erupts-in-kufra Fresh fighting has flared in the Libyan desert town of Kufra over the
weekend leaving three people dead and 17 others wounded according to local
sources. A Toubu tribe leader said the situation is very bad they were
attacked on Friday by what was meant to be a peacekeeping brigade, Shield
Libya, under defence ministry command, he also said cries for help to the
national army had fallen on deaf ears. Residents in a Toubu neighbourhood
said there was intermittent fighting since the morning. "They've been firing
since 6 am" a resident said adding that it was unclear what brought on the
fighting. A nurse in a Toubu residential area said the clashes were
continuing, we have three people dead and at least 17 people wounded, adding
that the majority of the wounded were in critical condition. He expected
that number to rise because "clashes are ongoing and the clinic can only
provide primary care". On Friday, Wissam Ben Hamid, head of the Shield Libya
brigade, said that fighting erupted after Zwai tribesman shot dead a Toubu
man. The Toubu reacted by firing on every car passing near their
neighbourhood, adding three of his men were wounded. In February, the
clashes between Toubu and Zwai tribesmen in Kufra cost more than 100 lives
and also displaced half the population, according to UN figures.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:48:06 -0700 Libya : Oil exports to reach 1.29m bpd http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-oil-exports-to-reach-129m-bpd http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-oil-exports-to-reach-129m-bpd Arab News recently reported that Libya's May oil exports is to reach 1.29m
bpd. Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) said that next
month, the country's crude oil exports are forecasted to grow to 1.29
million barrels per day (bpd). The company added that April's oil exports
are also expected to be 1.33 million bpd when divided over a smaller number
of days in the month. It also said that it plans to sell 30 million barrels
of May's production, whereas 10 million barrels would be taken by companies
that receive oil for investing in Libyan production. It is worth noting that
NOC is selling 34 million barrels in April, whereas firms with an equity
interest are taking 6 million barrels.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:44:00 -0700 ICC Chief Prosecutor meets Libyan Officials in Tripoli http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/icc-chief-prosecutor-meets-libyan-officials-i http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/icc-chief-prosecutor-meets-libyan-officials-i

Despite repeated calls by the International Criminal Court, ICC, Libyan officials are adamant that Saif Gaddafi will be tried in Libya where he committed the crimes for which the Hague-based court issued an international arrest warrant. ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, met a number of Libyan officials, including the head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil and the country's prosecutor-general yesterday to try and persuade them to hand Saif over to the international court. However, the new Libyan leaders reiterated their intention to try Saif for his crimes, that include his involvement in the killing of protesters during last year's conflict that eventually ousted his father's four-decades old regime from power. In the end, the International Criminal Court could soon drop its demand that Saif be transferred to the Hague for trial but could insist he be tried inside Libya under ICC supervision. The Libyan leaders confirmed to the ICC prosecutor that Saif is in good condition and believe they are quite capable of trying him themselves, with Abdul-Jalil telling Moreno-Ocampo that Libya would take the necessary steps to show it was capable of trying him. Saif faces the death penalty if found guilty by a Libyan court, or a prison term if convicted by the ICC. Saif remains held in Zintan where his captures are reluctant to hand him over to the Libyan authorities.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:04:00 -0700 East Libya calls for autonomy http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/east-libya-calls-for-autonomy http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/east-libya-calls-for-autonomy

Hundreds of federalism backers who massed in east Libya on Tuesday insisted on the region's autonomy and challenged the framework for electing a constituent assembly. Participants issued a statement stressing their "commitment to the autonomy of Cyrenaica stretching from the border with Egypt (in the east) to Sirte. Cyrenaica, which runs from the Mediterranean coast southward to Chad, comprises half of the country's territory and holds about three-quarters of Libya's vast oil reserves. The federalist camp would also liked to see the law governing the June election of a constituent assembly scrapped and replaced with one that would "split membership equally" across Libya's three historic regions. Libya was a federal union from 1951 to 1963 under King Idris I, which divided the country into three administrative states, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan. The current electoral law would distribute seats in the constituent assembly according to the number of inhabitants in major cities and towns. The resulting constitution will then be put to a referendum. Those lobbying for a federal system say they recognise the ruling National Transitional Council as their legitimate representative in international affairs but want to manage taxes, police and other matters locally.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:40:16 -0700 Libya: Algerian assurance http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-algerian-assurance http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-algerian-assurance Libya's leader said yesterday he had obtained an assurance from Algiers that
the family of Gaddafi would be prevented from sabotaging the new Libyan
authorities from its refuge in Algeria. Algeria allowed Gaddafi's wife,
daughter and two of his sons to flee onto its territory after a rebellion
ended the autocrat's rule last year, infuriating the rebels in Libya who had
already accused Algeria of favouring Gaddafi over them. But speaking after
his first visit to Algeria since last year's revolt, Mustafa Abdel Jalil,
head of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), said he had reached an
understanding on the issue with his Algerian counterpart. "We understand the
humanitarian stance that Algeria took to take in the (Gaddafi) family,
especially the women and children," Abdel Jalil told reporters after talks
with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika "but we remain convinced that
it will not give refuge to those who represent a threat to Libya's security,
we have reached an agreement that anything that constitutes a threat to
Libya, via financing or subversive activities, will not take place on
Algerian territory." He did not specify if the understanding with the
Algerian government meant that the Gaddafi family members would eventually
be handed over to Tripoli, or allowed to stay but under tight control.
Algerian officials made no comment.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:34:00 -0700 Libya : Where will Saif be tried? http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-where-will-saif-be-tried http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-where-will-saif-be-tried Libya remains steadfast over the ICC's request for Saif to be extradited.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor asked judges on Thursday to
report Libya to the UN Security Council over its failure to extradite Saif
Gaddafi but the Libyan Justice Minister said Libya would not send Saif to
the ICC and instead will put him on trial in his own country. Luis
Moreno-Ocampo asked a panel of judges to reject an appeal filed by Libya on
Tuesday requesting more time to transfer Saif to the Netherlands. "The fact
that the Libyan authorities have filed a request for leave to appeal does
not exempt them from compliance with the chamber's decision," Ocampo said.
"ICC decisions are binding until such time as they are reversed, or
suspended," he added. Ashour stressed that "there is no intention to hand
him (Saif) over to the ICC and Libyan law is the right system to be used to
try Saif Gaddafi. The son of the brutal dead dictator who played a major
role in the atrocities committed by his father during the Libyan uprising
needs to face trial in Libya and held accountable to crimes he committed
against the Libyan people. The move by Ocampo last week contradicts his
statements when he visited Libya right after the capture of Saif, at that
time he said Libya could hold the trial for him inside the country. "Libyan
authorities have also been cautioned of the consequences of non-cooperation
but have taken no steps to commence the implementation of Mr. Gaddafi's
surrender to the ICC," the prosecutor added. The ICC can report countries
refusing to cooperate to the United Nations. The Security Council could
impose penalties, but such steps would need the support of all permanent
members.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:28:34 -0700 Libya : Saif to be tried http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-saif-to-be-tried http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/libya-saif-to-be-tried

Saif Gaddafi will face trial inside Libya and there will be a verdict before mid-June, a Libyan official said Monday. The decision comes despite appeals by human rights groups to Libyan authorities to hand him over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague due to fears that he may not get a fair trial in Libya. A spokesman of the ruling National Transitional Council Mohammed al-Hareizi said that Saif will be transferred to Tripoli within 10 days and that his trial will conclude before parliamentary elections scheduled two months from now. It was not immediately clear if he would be tried in a military court where there is no appeal. "He will be tried for rape, murder, corruption and we expect him to be tried before the upcoming elections in mid-June," al-Hareizi told reporters in Tripoli. No timeframe was given for when his trial would begin but al-Hareizi said the trial could start as early as this month. Zintan military council spokesman Hassan Jwaili confirmed Monday that they would hand Saif over to authorities in Tripoli "some time this week with no conditions”.  The ICC have previously requested that Saif be handed over to the international courts however Libyan officials insist that they will be the ones to try Gaddafi.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:08:35 -0700 International Criminal Courts orders handover of Saif Gaddafi http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/international-criminal-courts-orders-handover http://news.snespecialprojects.co.uk/international-criminal-courts-orders-handover The International Criminal Court told Libyan authorities Wednesday to
surrender Saif Gaddafi. He was arrested in November by rebel fighters in
Libya's remote southern desert while trying to flee to neighbouring Niger
and has been held largely without access to the outside world since then. He
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 that eventually brought down
Gaddafi's four-decade dictatorship. Libyan authorities say they plan to put
Saif on trial and despite requests from The Hague, have so far taken no
action to hand him over. In a written ruling published 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".

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1084760/logo-only.png http://posterous.com/users/hdK7x3PhFaSV4 Dawn Chisholm Dawn Dawn Chisholm