The International Criminal Court (ICC) said Monday it was in touch with the Libyan Transitional National Council, seeking for the custody of Saif Al-Islam Kadhafi, son of the Libyan leader, Mouammar Kadhafi, reportedly seized by the rebels who entered Tripoli after a six-month old Libyan uprising.

The ICC Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said the Court had received information from the media on the arrest of Saif Al-Islam in Libya and was communicating with the Libyan National Transitional Council in order to confirm this.

The ICC said, once confirmed, it would discuss the handover of the suspect to the ICC in accordance with the warrant of arrest issued against him by the ICC.

On 27 June, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued three warrants of arrest against the older Kadhafi, Saif Al-Islam Kadhafi and Abdullah Al-Senussi, Libya's head of intelligence.

The Court alleged that the three were allegedly responsible for crimes against humanity (murder and persecution).

“The Libyan authorities have the obligation to fully cooperate with the ICC and to implement the ICC warrants of arrest in accordance with resolution 1970 adopted by the United Nations Security Council,” the ICC said in a statement Monday.

Libya does not subscribe to the Rome Statute but the UN Security Council voted to have the Libyan crisis treated by the ICC as an emergency when the crisis erupted.

“The States Parties to the Rome Statute also have the obligation to cooperate fully with the Court in accordance with Chapter IX of the Statute,” the Court added.

Pana 22 Août 2011