"The world is united" on reacting faster to serious crimes, says the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Luis Moreno Ocampo said he has opened a formal investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Libya.

The investigation into possible crimes committed by security forces against peaceful demonstrators comes just days after the UN Security Council's landmark unanimous decision to refer the situation in Libya to the ICC.

Speaking to a room packed with journalists from around the world, Mr Ocampo said his office had identified "some individuals" including Muammar Gaddafi, members of his family and inner circle, and officials, who could be held responsible for the "most serious incidents and crimes".

Suspects put on notice
Without mentioning names, the prosecutor said members of Gaddafi's inner circle could be considered as having de facto responsibility, while those with formal responsibility would include the foreign minister, the head of security and military intelligence and the head of the Libyan external security organisation.

These people will now be "put on notice" that they could be held "criminally responsible" for crimes committed by their subordinates, said Mr Ocampo. He added that those who are in a position to prevent crimes but fail to do so could also face investigation.

Arrest warrants
Mr Ocampo promised there would be "no impunity in Libya" and pledged to be impartial. He said his office had information that some opposition groups in Libya had weapons, and that if they have committed crimes, they too would be investigated.

The chief prosecutor said his office had been collecting information from sources inside Libya since Sunday and the next step would be to present the case to ICC judges, who could decide to issue arrest warrants within a few months.

As the ICC has no police force of its own, prosecution investigators in Libya will have to rely on support from the Arab League and the African Union to carry out their work on the ground.

Everybody's business
Only two weeks after the start of the uprising in Libya, the world is united in its commitment to prevent serious crimes, Mr Ocampo said. He added that "today we have a new situation, where no one can get away with attacking civilians".

From his podium, the world's first chief prosecutor told the world's media that "the world is changing and that "serious crimes are now everybody's business".

(as/ae)