Libya 'broke international justice standards by holding Saif Gaddafi without access to lawyer'

Πηγή: newKerala
By ANI
Dec 31 2011

Tripoli, Dec 31 : The new Libyan government has broken international standards of justice by holding slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam without access to a lawyer on charges that could carry the death penalty, a human rights activist has said.

Gaddafi, who was captured on November 19, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on two counts of alleged crimes against humanity.

Libya’s new authorities want to conduct Gaddafi''s trial themselves, possibly including extra charges of alleged corruption. 

But first, they will have to show the ICC that any proceedings would be held under international standards, The Telegraph reports.

Fred Abrahams, a Human Rights Watch researcher who met Saif in detention, said the Libyan authorities’ failure to give him a lawyer fell below these standards. 

“Their unwillingness or inability to grant Saif Gaddafi a lawyer suggests a fair trial is not on the cards,” he added.

Both Libyan and international standards require “prompt” access to a lawyer for a suspect in detention. This means a delay of no more than 48 hours. 

Gaddafi, however, has spent almost six weeks in detention in the town of Zintan.