ICC: No International Investigation Into Gaddafi’s Death For Now
By Ria Novosti
UN war-crimes prosecutors rejected a request to probe the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, but said an investigation is possible in the future, CNN said on Wednesday.
Gaddafi’s daughter Aisha and her lawyer Nick Kaufman requested the prosecution office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to look into the October death of her father and brother Mutassim, who “were captured alive at a time when they posed no threat to anyone,” only to be “murdered in the most horrific fashion.”
ICC prosecutors said in a response that they will review Libya’s investigation into alleged war crimes, including Gaddafi’s death, and make a report on the issue in May 2012.
“During this report, the OTP will present its strategy with regards to future investigations of alleged war crimes committed in Libya, including the killing of Moammar Gadhafi,” CNN quoted the response as saying.
Any further investigation by ICC “will depend on the activities of the Libyan national authorities and whether they are genuinely carrying out such investigations.”
Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, died shortly after being captured alive by National Transitional Council fighters near his hometown of Sirte. The bodies of Gaddafi, his son Mutassim and a former aide were put on display in a commercial freezer and subsequently buried in a desert grave.
The UN human rights office, as well as Russia and other countries, have called for a probe into the deposed leader’s extrajudicial killing.
