(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on Tuesday insisted that bringing the violators of serious crimes in Libya to justice is "not negotiable." She told the Security Council in an open meeting "individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes in Libya must be brought to justice either in Libya or at the ICC: this is not negotiable." She expressed regret that progress has been slow in the case of Abdullah Al-Senussi, former Libyan intelligence chief under late leader Muammer Gaddafi, who should be tried in Libya after the Chamber's ruling that the case was inadmissible before the ICC.
"We urge the Government of Libya to ensure that the case against him is proceded without undue delay and with full respect for due process rights," she told the Council.
However, she added, "it is even more regrettable and indeed a source of great concern" that despite the Chamber's order, the Libyan Government has failed to date to surrender Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to the ICC.
"National judicial proceedings can never be an excuse for failure to comply with the Chamber's order" to surrender him, she argued.
She called on member states to help Libya untangle the methods of the networks responsible for committing crimes by providing telephone intercepts and sustained follow-up on transfers of funds to establish the whereabouts and movements of persons under investigation.
There is no doubt, she insisted, that Libya needs help to succeed in its aspirations for transition to democracy and rule of law, adding that "justice is key to lasting peace, and justice should thus be at the forefront of international efforts to help Libya." She noted that Libya continues to face "serious security challenges and deep political crisis which undermine its ability to effect much needed meaningful judicial and other changes," adding that this has hampered her office's investigative activities and hindered possibilities for effective interaction with the government.
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