Saif Gaddafi's Fear of His Fate Exposed in Recording‎

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: In the final act of the Libyan drama, the country's former intelligence chief was arrested on Sunday, as a recording of Saif Gaddafi revealed the favoured son's fear of meeting the same end as his father.

Libya's former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi was captured on Sunday in the same southern region as the slain Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's heir was found a day earlier, an official in the National Transitional Council confirmed.

Saif spent Sunday secreted in the militia stronghold of Zintan, as Libya's interim rulers ignored world pressure and insisted that he be tried inside the country rather than at the International Criminal Court.

Reports have surfaced that he was discovered in the deep south of the country heading to Niger, wearing Tuareg robes and turban and pretending to be a camel herder named "Abdul Salem".

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi flitted between fear of being lynched and bravado at the prospect of being executed like his father when his Libyan captors flew him to their mountain stronghold.

And as a mob outside bayed for his blood, he even found time to worry about the dangers of passive smoking. » | Sunday, November 20, 2011

Saif al-Islam Goes from Fugitive to Facing the Libyan People

THE GUARDIAN: Wherever Muammar Gaddafi's son stands trial, he will be defending not just himself but his whole family

Even on the run, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the 39-year-old son of ColonelMuammar Gaddafi, continued to insist on his innocence of crimes against humanity for which he has been indicted, contacting the international criminal court late last month through an intermediary.

It was suspected then that Saif was in Libya's vast desert areas close to the border with Niger, perhaps travelling in a convoy. In reality, it appears, Saif was travelling with only a handful of bodyguards when he was caught by National Transitional Council forces near the southern town of Obari. Now it seems likely that he will have to prove his innocence not in The Hague but in Tripoli, the capital he fled, in what is certain to become a show trial. Saif will be answering not only for himself but for his whole family.

The ICC had sought Saif on an international warrant as an "indirect co-perpetrator of murder and persecution as crimes against humanity", accusing him of "assuming essential tasks" to enact a plan, between 15 and 28 February this year, to launch attacks on Libyan civilians.

Saif was flown by pro-government forces to Zintan, where an angry crowd attempted to storm the plane. Dressed in a Tuareg scarf, heavily bearded and with a bandaged hand, he refused, however, to confirm his identity to a Reuters correspondent who saw him and described the prisoner as looking like Saif.

A commander in Zintan and the country's interim justice minister confirmed his capture. The ICC said that it was in discussions to ensure he was treated appropriately.

If Saif makes it safely to trial – not a certainty, given the deaths of his father and his brother Mutassim after their capture in Sirte – that court appearance will be the culmination of a long and extraordinary journey for the man many once believed was the reformer in the Gaddafi clan.

It was a journey that took Saif, a handsome and plausible figure with an excellent command of English, German and French, from the London School of Economics, where he studied, to meetings with high-ranking international figures. » | Peter Beaumont | Saturday, November 19, 2011

Libya Trial Pledge Over Gaddafi Son

THE INDEPENDENT: David Cameron revealed tonight that he has received assurances from Libyan leaders that captured fugitive Seif al-Islam will be tried in line with international standards.

Britain will offer "every assistance" to Libya's government to ensure Muammar Gaddafi's son is brought to justice over his role in the "barbaric" reign of terror, the Prime Minister added.

Al-Islam was seized in southern Libya with two aides, who were trying to smuggle him out to neighbouring Niger, officials confirmed today.

Mr Cameron said: "The Libyan government's announcement of Seif al-Islam's arrest shows we are near the end of the final chapter of the Gaddafi regime.

"It is a great achievement for the Libyan people and must now become a victory for international justice too.

"He could have contributed to a more open and decent future for his country, but instead chose to lead a bloody and barbaric campaign against his own people. The fate of the Gaddafis should act as a warning to brutal dictators everywhere.

"Britain will offer every assistance to the Libyan government and the International Criminal Court to bring him to face full accountability and justice for what he has done. » | AP | Saturday, November 19, 2011
Related »

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi: From Heir Apparent to Prisoner of Libya's New Rulers

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has just been captured by Libya's new government, had long been seen as the likeliest successor to his father.

Now the 39-year-old, who occupied no formal political office but wielded vast influence, is a prisoner of his country's new rulers - arrested in the southern desert by forces of the National Transitional Council.

He had been on the run and in hiding for almost a month since the last towns held by troops still loyal to his father fell in mid-October.

For years he had been seen as a western-leaning and reformist figure inside the Gaddafi regime, and was courted by western politicians and businessmen who had high hopes for the future.

But once the rebellion in Libya got under way he became increasingly vocal in support of the regime's violent crackdown.

"Libya is at a crossroads. If we do not agree today on reforms, we will not be mourning 84 people, but thousands of deaths, and rivers of blood will run through Libya," he said in February, soon after the uprising began. » | Telegraph reporter |Saturday, November 19, 2011

Related »

WIRTSCHAFTSWOCHE: Gaddafis prominentester Sohn gefasst: Der Sohn des früheren libyschen Machthabers Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam, ist offiziellen Angaben zufolge im Süden des Landes gefasst und festgenommen worden. Er galt einst als Reformer und Hoffnung des Westens. » | rtr/dpa | Quelle: Handelsblatt Online | Samstag 19. November 2011

LE MONDE: Saïf Al-Islam Kadhafi a été arrêté dans le sud de la Libye : Saïf Al-Islam Kadhafi, capturé samedi dans le sud de la Libye, sera jugé équitablement en Libye pour des crimes graves passibles de la peine de mort, a déclaré le ministre libyen de la justice Mohammed al Alagy. Seif Al-Islam était le dernier fils encore en cavale de l'ancien dirigeant Mouammar Kadhafi, tué le 20 octobre. » | LEMONDE.FR avec AFP et Reuters | samedi 19 novembre 2011

Video Shows Saif al-Islam Gaddafi On Board Plane After His Arrest
The footage shows Saif al-Islam wearing traditional robes with a scarf pulled over his head sitting on board a plane bound for Zintan after his capture.

Read short article here
Related »

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Captured in Libya

THE GUARDIAN: Interim Tripoli government says son of Muammar Gaddafi was arrested while attempting to flee to neighbouring Niger

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the fugitive son of Libya's deceased former dictator, has been arrested in southern Libya, according to officials from the country's new government.
Libyan state TV reported that Saif has arrived in captivity and unhurt at an army base in the town of Zintan, 90 miles south-west of Tripoli.

Muammar Gaddafi's second and highest-profile son was captured along with several bodyguards by fighters near the town of Obari in Libya's southern desert, said the interim justice minister and other officials.

Saif was said to be in good health, according to the justice minister Mohammed al-Alagi.

"We have arrested Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in [the] Obari area," the minister told Reuters.

Saif was captured near the southern city of Sabha with two aides trying to smuggle him out to neighbouring Niger, militia commander Bashir al-Tayeleb said. » | Chris Stephen in Tripoli and David Batty | Saturday, November 19, 2011

Photo of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi »

Libya Insists Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Should Be Tried at Home

THE GUARDIAN: NTC says that the International Criminal Court should not be allowed to try Saif Gaddafi for his role in Libya's civil war

Libyan officials are determined to resist attempts to bring Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, before the international criminal court [sic], claiming he should instead face justice at home.

Colonel Ahmed Bani, the military spokesman for Libya's interim rulers, said they were insistent that the international body should not win custody of its most wanted man. "We will not accept that our sovereignty be violated like that," he said. "We will put him on trial here. This is where he must face the consequences of what he has done. We will prove to the world that we are a civilised people with a fair justice system. Libya has its rights and its sovereignty and we will exercise them."

The gruesome scenes of his father's death give Gaddafi, 39, little incentive to surrender to the new rulers, or the rebel forces searching for him in the Sahara.

It is understood that Gaddafi has acknowledged to the ICC and the National Transitional Council that he is aware of his father's brutal demise in his hometown of Sirte. Officials in Tripoli fear that the former heir apparent does not intend to surrender to The Hague, and is playing for time in an attempt to escape into a nearby African state. » | Martin Chulov in Tripoli | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Gaddafi’s Son – New Nightmare for Western Leaders

ICC Warns Libya's Saif al-Islam Against Fleeing

REUTERS.COM: The International Criminal Court said on Saturday Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was in contact through intermediaries about surrendering for trial, but it also had information mercenaries were trying to spirit him to a friendly African nation.

The ICC has warned the 39-year-old, apparently anxious not to be captured by Libyan interim government forces in whose hands his father Muammar Gaddafi was killed last week, that it could order a mid-air interception if he tried to flee by plane from his Sahara desert hideout for a safe haven. » | Aaron Gray-Block | THE HAGUE | Saturday, October 29, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi's son says he is innocent: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has told the International Criminal Court he is innocent of alleged crimes against humanity » | Reuters | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Libya: Col Gaddafi Son Saif Opens ICC Talks on Surrender
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi's fugitive son, who is wanted for crimes against humanity has established indirect contacts with the International Criminal Court on his surrender, the court's chief prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said that his office was in "informal contact" with Muammar Gaddafi's son through intermediaries regarding his surrender to the war crimes court.

"Through intermediaries, we have informal contact with Saif. The office of the prosecutor has made it clear that if he surrenders to the ICC, he has the right to be heard in court, he is innocent until proven guilty. The judges will decide," prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo would not say with whom the court is talking. He also said the court does not know al-Islam's whereabouts.

If Saif is brought before the court, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said, he will "have all the rights and be protected," and will be allowed to present his defence.

"We believe we have a strong case," the prosecutor told CNN. "We believe he should be convicted." » | Telegraph Foreign Staff | Friday, October 28, 2011

Lien en relation avec cet article »

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi en route vers le Mali

LE FIGARO: Le fils de l'ex-dictateur libyen et le chef des services secrets militaires ont trouvé refuge dans le Sahara auprès de rebelles touaregs.

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi a quitté la Libye. Son convoi qui était placé sous une forte escorte de combattants touaregs aurait pénétré jeudi au Niger dans le secteur des trois frontières (Libye, Niger, Algérie). L'opération d'exfiltration du fils de Mouammar Kadhafi été organisée, selon nos informations, grâce à l'appui d'Agaly Alambo, l'ancien chef rebelle du Mouvement nigérien pour la justice (MNJ) et de ses hommes.

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi serait décidé à ne pas subir le sort de son père tué il y a une semaine dans sa ville natale de Syrte. Résolu à sauver sa peau, il se serait caché dans le sud libyen avant de s'engager dans des couloirs qui l'ont conduit hors de portée de ses poursuivants libyens du Conseil national de transition. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | jeudi 27 octobre 2011

Seif Al-Islam Reported Willing to Surrender to War Crimes Court
THE TRIPOLI POST: A senior National Transitional Council military official, has said that the second son of the former Libyan leader Muammar Al Qathafi, 39-year-old Seif al-Islam, wants to turn himself in to the Hague war crimes court.

It seems that Seif, his father's heir apparent, who is reportedly travelling with his relative, former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, is fearing for his life after the capture of his father and his brother Muatassim that led to their death. Instead, fearing he might not be able to find a safe haven across an African border, sees a jail cell in a Dutch jail as his best option.

Both Libyans are indicted by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for crimes against humanity after their crackdown on the popular revolt the began mid-February. The NTC official, Abdel Majid Mlegta, is reported telling Reuters:“They are proposing a way to hand themselves over to The Hague,” [sic] » | Thursday, October 27, 2011

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi 'Trying to Broker Deal to Surrender to ICC'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi's fugitive son and his intelligence chief are trying to broker a deal to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a military commander with the new Libyan administration has claimed.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi had concluded they were safer handing themselves in rather than remaining on the run in Libya, or trying to hide in a neighbouring country.

The Hague-based court issued arrest warrants for the two men and Col Gaddafi in June for their role in the bloody attempted suppression of the February 17 revolution.

A spokesman for the court said he had no information on any proposed deal or negotiations, however.

Diplomatic sources also said they had no information to suggest the claims were true.

"They are proposing a way to hand themselves over to The Hague," said Abdel Majid Mlegta, a senior military commander with the National Transitional Council (NTC). "They feel that it is not safe for them to stay where they are or to go anywhere." » | Ben Farmer, Tripoli | Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Übergangsrat: Saif al-Islam befindet sich an der Grenze zu Niger und Algerien

TAGES ANZEIGER: Ghadhafis Sohn will Libyen mithilfe eines gefälschten Passes verlassen. Die Tuareg sollen dabei behilflich sein.

Der vom Internationalen Strafgerichtshof gesuchte Sohn des früheren libyschen Machthabers Muammar al-Ghadhafi, Saif al-Islam, will offenbar in Niger Zuflucht suchen. Ein ranghohes Mitglied der Tuareg sagte der Nachrichtenagentur AP, Saif al-Islam bewege sich auf die Grenze zu. Er werde von Tuareg geleitet, die zu den grössten Anhängern Ghadhafis zählten.

Er befinde sich an der Grenze zu Niger und Algerien und wolle mit Hilfe eines gefälschten Passes das Land verlassen, vermutete derweil ein Vertreter der libyschen Übergangsregierung am Montag. Ghadhafis früherer Geheimdienstchef Abdullah al-Senussi sei in die Pläne involviert. Die Region sei extrem schwierig zu überwachen und einzugrenzen. Deshalb sei es schwierig, die Flucht Saif al-Islams zu verhindern. » | kpn/sda | Dienstag 25. Oktober 2011

Gaddafi's Eldest Son Saif Captured 'Alive and Uninjured' Claim Libyan Officials
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Saif al-Islam caught in Nessma, near stronghold of Bani Walid / Loyal son tried to broker peace deal on behalf of his father 10 days ago / Moussa Ibrahim, Gaddafi's spokesman, also caught while fleeing to Misrata / Father and three of sons dead, three more and daughter still at large

Moammar Gaddafi's eldest son Saif al-Islam has been captured 'alive and uninjured' Libyan officials this morning claimed.

There had been various reports of Saif's condition following the death of his father, with some reports that he had been shot, and even some claims that he had lost both arms.

However, a National Transitional Council spokesman told NBC last night that Saif and Moussa Ibrahim, the former media frontman for the Gaddafi's regime, were captured in Nessma, near Bani Walid, while they were being moved to Misrata.

NTC spokesman said the Osoud el Wadi brigade, which translates as 'Lions of the Valley,' were responsible for the capture. The claims could not immediately be verified last night.

Conflicting reports emerged yesterday claiming that Saif he had already been captured in Zlitan, 99 miles from Tripoli, while receiving treatment for wounds.

No pictures have emerged of Saif since his father was captured and killed on Thursday.

Any escape will worry the British political elite who could face acute embarrassment if Saif was ultimately captured and ended up in court.

Saif became close to leading figures in the British government after Tony Blair signed the notorious ‘Deal in the Desert’ in March 2004.

Prince Andrew has also been linked to the bomber’s controversial release.

The Duke of York was accused of holding secret ‘detailed discussions’ over the release of the Lockerbie bomber with Saif in 2009, during an official Foreign Office-sponsored trip to Algeria. » | Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Muammar Gaddafi's Sons At Odds Over Surrender
Deposed Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam, tells Syria's al-Rai TV loyalists would never surrender to the rebels - while his brother Saadi, a former footballer, tells al-Arabiya TV he is ready to negotiate with rebels

Gaddafi's Son Makes Defiant Stand
Libya's opposition is facing serious questions after the startling appearance in Tripoli of one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam, his chosen heir.

Only hours earlier, as rebel fighters celebrated their advances in Tripoli, the National Transitional Council in Benghazi reported that Saif al-Islam was in custody.

His defiant gesture shows that the conflict could still full of surprises.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi reports.


Related

Libya: Saif al-Islam and Mohammed Gaddafi, the Dictator's Sons, Escape Capture

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam, Colonel Gaddafi's heir apparent, emerged defiant at his father's Tripoli compound last night, hours after reports of his arrest by rebel forces.

A defiant Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who acted as de-facto prime minister to his father, appeared early this morning in a carpark at his father's Bab al-Azizya compound in Tripoli before taking reporters on a tour of the parts of the capital still controlled by the regime.

"Tripoli is under our control. Everyone should rest assured. All is well in Tripoli," he boasted as gunfire rattled around the port city.

Yesterday the rebels announced Saif was under arrest and negotiations were underway to hand him to the International Criminal Court.

His older brother, Mohammed Gaddafi, was also reported to have broken free of house arrest last night.

"You have seen how the Libyan people rose up," Saif al-Islam said, referring to the loyalists' fierce fighting with rebel forces. » | Matthew Holehouse | Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Related here and here

ICC Confirms that Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi Has Been Arrested in Libya
THE HAGUE JUSTICE PORTAL: The International Criminal Court and the Libyan transitional government are currently discussing the transfer of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to the Hague following his capture by Libyan rebels.

The ICC’s Spokesperson, Fadi El-Abdallah, has confirmed that the ICC and the Libyan transitional government are discussing the surrender of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (right) following his arrest, but as of yet does not have any clear information on when he would be transferred. Mr El-Abdallah added that this was an important step for international justice in the interest of the victims in Libya. The ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo also confirmed that Saif had been detained by "rebel special forces". He made it clear there is an obligation to surrender Saif to the ICC in accordance with Security Council resolution 1970. » | Monday, August 22, 2011

Col Muammar Gaddafi 'Offers to Give Up Power in Libya'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi has offered to give up power for the first time, but only if his hated son is allowed to stand as his successor, a Russian official claimed on Tuesday.

Western powers are seriously considering the proposal, which would include a guarantee of amnesty from prosecution for the Libyan leader, a senior official in the Russian leadership was reported as saying.

“The colonel has sent signals that he is ready to relinquish power in exchange for security guarantees and such guarantees are on the table,” the official told Russia’s respected Kommersant newspaper.

The purported offer comes amid speculation that Col Gaddafi is seeking to make a face-saving exit amid growing fears that shortages and poverty in the Libyan capital Tripoli were making his position untenable.

The official claimed that France supported the idea and had agreed to work both to lift an International Criminal Court indictment against Col Gaddafi and to unfreeze his family’s international assets. » | Adrian Blomfield, Tripoli | Tuesday, July 05, 2011