3 Nov 2011

International court to probe Nato action in Libya

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says it will investigate allegations of crimes committed by Nato forces as well as by the rebels and Gaddafi regime.

ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo says the court will investigate possible crimes by Nato forces (Reuters)

In a speech to the United National Security Council, Luis Moreno-Ocampo said: “There are allegations of crimes committed by Nato forces, allegations of crimes committed by NTC-related forces… as well as allegations of additional crimes committed by pro-Gaddafi forces.

“These allegations will be examined impartially and independently by the (prosecution),” he said.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo also said he was investigating whether the former Libyan leader and his spy chief ordered mass rapes as they battled an insurgency earlier this year. Gaddafi died shortly after his capture last month by the former rebels, now government forces.

Human rights groups have said that NTC forces singled out sub-Saharan African migrant workers for arbitrary arrest and detention on the assumption that they supported Gaddafi.

Channel 4 News Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson said he had witnessed apparent attacks on migrant workers by rebel fighters.

Libya’s interim leadership has said it would like to try Saif al-Islam and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi in Libya. Both men have been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity and other war crimes.

Read more on Eman al-Obeidi, who accused Libyan forces of raping her