UN report says trial of Gaddafi’s son and regime officials “flawed”

BY Libyan Express Feb 21, 2017 - 14:22

The UN claimed on Tuesday that the trial in Libya of Saif Islam Gaddafi, the son of the killed Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and other members of his regime failed to meet international fair trial standards.

The United Nations said in a report on Tuesday that the case is the “most prominent effort” by Libya’s judiciary to bring former regime officials to account for the crimes committed in the 2011 revolution. However, the violations of the due process included prolonged periods of detention amid allegations of torture.

Saif Islam Gaddafi and several other Gaddafi-regime officials, including the former Libyan prime minister and the head of the country’s intelligence services, were sentenced to death in July 2015.

“Holding perpetrators responsible for violations is vitally important but accountability should be the result of due process and a fair trial. This trial was a missed opportunity for justice and for the Libyan people to have the chance to confront and reflect on the conduct of the former regime,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said, as quoted by the United Nations.

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