Libya, Sirte airport falls
arrest warrant for Saadi Gaddafi

Libyan interim government forces are launching a new attack on Sirte, the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi and his stronghold. According to the NTC spokesmen, the airport fell into their hands, after a week of fighting, with the help of NATO fighters, against sniper fire and artillery of loyal forces to the colonel. And the spokesman of the rais, Ibrahim Moussa, was arrested in the city.

Interpol has meanwhile issued an arrest warrant for Saadi Gheddafi, the 38-year-old Colonel’s third son, who had also played for a short time as a Serie A player in Italy. Saadi is accused of crimes he committed when he was the leader of the Libyan Football Association. The new Libyan authorities have requested the arrest of Saadi, who is believed to have taken refuge in Niger, for “embezzlement” and “armed intimidation”, the Interpol statement reads.

Interpol is aimed in particular at “countries bordering Libya and Niger, and those that have links with Niger”, given that the checks conducted by international investigators “confirm the reports” according to which Colonel Gheddafi’s son would be in that country. Furthermore, “as commander of military units suspected of involvement in the repression of civilian demonstrations during the uprisings in Libya, he is also subject to a travel ban by the United Nations and the freezing of funds”.

That of today is the first red notice issued at the request of the CNT, while the others relating to Colonel Gaddafi and other members of his family were issued at the request of the international criminal court. The Niger government, however, has already announced that it will not proceed with the extradition of Saadi Gaddafi to Libya “where it would not receive a fair trial and could incur the death penalty”, but could hand it over to another jurisdiction.

(September 29, 2011)