“Gaddafi has met his fate” said a spokesman for Libya’s National Transitional Council, confirming the death of the former dictator earlier today. Gaddafi died of wounds suffered as fighters of the National Transitional Council overran his hometown Sirte.
The announcement was greeted with elation in Libya where thousands of people have taken to the streets to celebrate the climax of an eight-month-old uprising against his rule. Gaddafi had been sought by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity. And while that arrest warrant dies with him, the warrants issued by the ICC against his son Saif al-Islam and spymaster Abdullah al-Senussi remain very much alive. (article continues below)
Tripoli or The Hague?
Libya’s rebel-led NTC had called earlier this year for Gaddafi and other figures to face trial at home, a call echoed by France and Britain. But the ICC was authorised to investigate possible crimes against humanity in Libya by the UN Security Council so the Hague-based Court takes precedence over domestic justice. That's if national courts are unable or unwilling to hold trials themselves.
More:
Gaddafi may be dead, but the challenges for Libya going ahead are still huge. RNW has been looking at key issues:
- press freedom: Fall of Gaddafi won't guarantee a free press
- water: Harvesting Libya's hidden water with Holland's help
- democracy building: The Dutch shouldn't get too involved with Libya
Libya’s new government has said it will cooperate with the ICC – even though Tripoli is not signed up as a member of the court. So it’s likely Gaddafi’s son and spymaster could end up the cells ready for them at the ICC's detention unit in The Hague, if they surrender or are taken alive.
More than enough evidence
The ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo says there is more than enough evidence to support claims that the Gaddafi regime has caused hundreds of victims among the country’s civilian population.
Ocampo says, for example, that Gaddafi, his son and security chief arranged for Viagra to be issued to military personnel so they could rape women.
As Ocampo is still investigating the situation in Libya, it is expected that he could add war crimes to his list of alleged crimes committed. He could also issue more arrest warrants, which would mean more members of the Gaddafi regime would face international rather than local justice.
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