JUDGES AT the International Criminal Court (ICC) are expected today to give the go-ahead for the issuing of arrest warrants for Libyan leader Col Muammar Gadafy and two of his most trusted lieutenants for crimes against humanity.
The chief prosecutor at the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, asked the judges last month for permission to issue the warrants for Col Gadafy; his second-oldest son, Saif al-Islam; and his brother-in-law and security chief, Abdullah al-Sanoussi.
The United Nations Security Council had asked the ICC to launch an investigation into the actions of the Gadafy regime following anti-Government protests in Libya on February 15th, the start of the bloodiest revolt of the so-called Arab Spring.
More than 700 people are believed to have been killed during the month of February alone, and the death toll since then is believed to have run into the thousands.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo also said there was evidence that Col Gadafy had ordered the mass rape of hundreds of women as an institutionalised weapon in his war against the popular uprising.
He said rape was a new tactic for the regime. “That’s why we had doubts at the beginning. But now we are more convinced. Apparently Gadafy decided to punish, using rape.” He also alleged that the Libyan government had handed out doses of Viagra to its soldiers in order to encourage sexual attacks.
The judges are expected to issue their decision on the prosecutor’s request for warrants at about lunchtime today.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo has already scheduled a press conference for tomorrow at which he is expected to give details of how the ICC will proceed once the warrants have been authorised.
The ICC does not have a police force, and depends on member governments to enforce arrests. However, Libya is not an ICC member state and does not acknowledge the authority of the court.
Critics of the ICC have claimed that the issuing of arrest warrants is likely only to harden Col Gadafy’s attitude, and worsen the stand-off between his regime and the international community.
Meanwhile, Nato said on Saturday its missiles had hit a site in Libya used by Col Gadafy’s forces to stockpile military supplies and vehicles, while Libyan state media said 15 civilians had been killed.
The attack late on Friday was the second within hours on what Nato said were clearly identified military targets in the coastal city of Brega, about 200km (130 miles) west of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. – (Additional reporting: Reuters)