TRIPOLI, Libya, April 6 (UPI) -- The interim government in Tripoli refused an ICC request to hand over the son of former leader Moammar Gadhafi so he can face domestic courts.
The International Criminal Court issued a ruling Wednesday calling on Tripoli to hand Saif al-Islam Gadhafi to the court in The Hague. He is subject to an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity committed during last year's civil war.
The interim government in Tripoli said it wasn't handing him over, however, because he'd be tried by the Libyan courts, the Tripoli Post reports.
In November, Christian Wenaweser, a senior official at the ICC, said that Libya maintains primary jurisdiction when trying former regime figures of suspected crimes.
"Should the Libyan authorities wish to try (Saif al-Islam) in Libya, they can make the case before the court that their national judicial system is willing and able to do so in an independent and impartial manner," he said in a statement.
The lawyer for Gadhafi's son said he was mistreated while in custody, the Libyan news service adds. Human Rights Watch, following a visit to the country in December, said Saif al-Islam told them he was treated well by Libyan authorities. His primary concern, he said, was lack of access to legal counsel.
