JURIST - Paper Chase: Gaddafi son, intelligence chief reportedly seeking surrender to ICC

[JURIST] Son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi [BBC obituary; JURIST news archive] Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi have reportedly attempted to leave Libya in an effort to surrender themselves to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website], according to the National Transitional Council (NTC) [official website]. The ICC has been unable to confirm [Al Arabiya report] these reports. Earlier in the summer, the ICC issued arrest warrants [JURIST report] for Saif al-Islam and al-Senussi for crimes against humanity. Saif al-Islam was reportedly injured during the activity that resulted in the capture and death [JURIST report] of his father last week outside of Sirte, but had later been seen [Reuters report] preparing to flee Libya with al-Senussi. This report comes as the Libya conflict [JURIST backgrounder] appears to be drawing to a close after the interim Libyan prime minister declared [JURIST report] the country's liberation following Gaddafi's death.

In June, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official website] announced that his office was pursuing arrest warrants [JURIST report] against Gaddafi and the two others in his "inner circle." He said Saif al-Islam was acting as Gaddafi's "de facto Prime Minister" and called al-Sanussi Gaddafi's "right-hand man" and "executioner." At that time, Moreno-Ocampo said his office was almost prepared for trial, having collected quality testimony from some who have fled Libya. Saif al-Islam received a PhD from the London School of Economics in 2008 and is fluent in English. He had been seen by some as a potential reformer and successor to his father. In February, he announced that the Libyan government was set to undertake constitutional reforms [JURIST report] in response to protests.