Neo-Colonial Show Trial In Libya Seeks to Scapegoat and Murder Gaddafi's Sons
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and brother Saadi face accusations of masterminding campaign of murder and torture during the imperialist war of regime-change in the North African state
Sunday 13 April 2014 05.55 EDT
The "war crimes" show-trial of two sons of Libya's former Revolutionary Pan-Africanist leader Muammar Gaddafi begins amid tight security in Tripoli on Monday, in a case causing sensation at home and controversy in the international community.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his younger brother Saadi are accused of orchestrating a campaign of murder, torture and bombardment of civilians during Libya's eight-month CIA-Pentagon-NATO destabilization and blanket bombing of the oil-rich country in 2011.
Appearing with them are Gaddafi's former intelligence director, Abdullah al-Senussi, two former prime ministers and 34 senior officials representing much of the socialist government's surviving leadership.
The trial is going ahead despite much of the country being gripped by violence and the blockading of oil production by rebel militias.
Security fears have seen the trial moved to the capital's maximum security al-Hadba prison, which has been ringed with armoured cars, barbed wire and machine-gun nests.
In a sign of the power of the militias, units holding Saif al-Islam in the mountain town of Zintan have refused to hand him over to the authorities. Instead, he will stand trial over a video link.
The defendants are accused of masterminding a chain of massacres in the early days of Libya's counter-revolution, and of later rounding up, torturing and killing hundreds of opponents.
The two brothers are also accused of plundering state coffers to fund extravagant lifestyles abroad.
Until the US-backed counter-revolution, Saif al-Islam enjoyed the high profile life often representing Libya at international gatherings.
Saadi, 40, is best known for his career as a professional footballer, being signed by three Italian Serie-A clubs in quick succession. Rebel prosecutors say he was responsible for troops firing into the crowd during a Libyan cup final in 1996.
Investigators have released few details of the case, but documents filed by the neo-colonial puppet regime occupying Libya with the international criminal court show an extensive charge sheet, more than 200 witnesses and 40,000 pages of evidence.
Central to the case are telephone intercepts allegedly recording the accused ordering war crimes, and a video that judges in The Hague say is genuine, showing Senussi ordering his followers "to be ready to destroy these filthy groups altogether".
But rights groups say violence against judges and lawyers, which have seen the rule of law suspended across much of the country, leave a question mark over the trial. "Militias and criminals have harassed, intimidated, threatened and in some cases assassinated judges, prosecutors, witnesses," said Hanan Salah, of Human Rights Watch.
Concern about due process was heightened this month with the release of a video made by prison guards, apparently without a lawyer present, showing Saadi supposedly confessing to his crimes.
The trial is also controversial because the international criminal court, which has charged Saif al-Islam and Senussi with equally outrageous and baseless crimes, has yet to speak out forcefully against the Kangaroo courts.
Judges at The Hague ruled that Saif al-Islam must be sent to the ICC, and his lawyers are appealing against a decision that Libya is fit to try Senussi, 64. His ICC legal team, led by Ben Emmerson QC, say Libya refused them permission to visit their client.
"How can you have a fair trial if they don't let the lawyers visit Senussi or even speak to him by phone?" said Amal Alamuddin, one of the ICC defense team.
Libya insists the trial will be fair and transparent. "I can assure you that the trial will be according to the correct legal procedures," said Ahmed Lamin, a government spokesman.
Counter-revolutionary Libyans and their imperialist backers are eager to see the trial of their former tormentors.
"This case is going to be an example, not just for the old guys on trial, but for the new guys in power," said a Tripoli photographer Magdi el-Nakua. "The message for the new guys is that any abuses, no matter how you see yourselves, you will be made to account for them."
Nonetheless, the massive destabilization and bombing campaign that left 100,000 people dead and two million displaced has never been the source for an ICC investigation. The Obama administration had deployed CIA personnel into the country initially and then coordinated air bombardments dropping 10,000 bombs on the country over a period of eight months.
Libyan wealth was stolen by the imperialists and the country remains one of the most dangerous in the world with no semblance of the rule of law. The CIA-Pentagon-NATO inspired instability has since 2011 spread throughout the regions of North and West Africa.
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| The 2011 Pentagon-NATO blanket bombing of Libya has gone unpunished. |
Sunday 13 April 2014 05.55 EDT
The "war crimes" show-trial of two sons of Libya's former Revolutionary Pan-Africanist leader Muammar Gaddafi begins amid tight security in Tripoli on Monday, in a case causing sensation at home and controversy in the international community.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his younger brother Saadi are accused of orchestrating a campaign of murder, torture and bombardment of civilians during Libya's eight-month CIA-Pentagon-NATO destabilization and blanket bombing of the oil-rich country in 2011.
Appearing with them are Gaddafi's former intelligence director, Abdullah al-Senussi, two former prime ministers and 34 senior officials representing much of the socialist government's surviving leadership.
The trial is going ahead despite much of the country being gripped by violence and the blockading of oil production by rebel militias.
Security fears have seen the trial moved to the capital's maximum security al-Hadba prison, which has been ringed with armoured cars, barbed wire and machine-gun nests.
In a sign of the power of the militias, units holding Saif al-Islam in the mountain town of Zintan have refused to hand him over to the authorities. Instead, he will stand trial over a video link.
The defendants are accused of masterminding a chain of massacres in the early days of Libya's counter-revolution, and of later rounding up, torturing and killing hundreds of opponents.
The two brothers are also accused of plundering state coffers to fund extravagant lifestyles abroad.
Until the US-backed counter-revolution, Saif al-Islam enjoyed the high profile life often representing Libya at international gatherings.
Saadi, 40, is best known for his career as a professional footballer, being signed by three Italian Serie-A clubs in quick succession. Rebel prosecutors say he was responsible for troops firing into the crowd during a Libyan cup final in 1996.
Investigators have released few details of the case, but documents filed by the neo-colonial puppet regime occupying Libya with the international criminal court show an extensive charge sheet, more than 200 witnesses and 40,000 pages of evidence.
Central to the case are telephone intercepts allegedly recording the accused ordering war crimes, and a video that judges in The Hague say is genuine, showing Senussi ordering his followers "to be ready to destroy these filthy groups altogether".
But rights groups say violence against judges and lawyers, which have seen the rule of law suspended across much of the country, leave a question mark over the trial. "Militias and criminals have harassed, intimidated, threatened and in some cases assassinated judges, prosecutors, witnesses," said Hanan Salah, of Human Rights Watch.
Concern about due process was heightened this month with the release of a video made by prison guards, apparently without a lawyer present, showing Saadi supposedly confessing to his crimes.
The trial is also controversial because the international criminal court, which has charged Saif al-Islam and Senussi with equally outrageous and baseless crimes, has yet to speak out forcefully against the Kangaroo courts.
Judges at The Hague ruled that Saif al-Islam must be sent to the ICC, and his lawyers are appealing against a decision that Libya is fit to try Senussi, 64. His ICC legal team, led by Ben Emmerson QC, say Libya refused them permission to visit their client.
"How can you have a fair trial if they don't let the lawyers visit Senussi or even speak to him by phone?" said Amal Alamuddin, one of the ICC defense team.
Libya insists the trial will be fair and transparent. "I can assure you that the trial will be according to the correct legal procedures," said Ahmed Lamin, a government spokesman.
Counter-revolutionary Libyans and their imperialist backers are eager to see the trial of their former tormentors.
"This case is going to be an example, not just for the old guys on trial, but for the new guys in power," said a Tripoli photographer Magdi el-Nakua. "The message for the new guys is that any abuses, no matter how you see yourselves, you will be made to account for them."
Nonetheless, the massive destabilization and bombing campaign that left 100,000 people dead and two million displaced has never been the source for an ICC investigation. The Obama administration had deployed CIA personnel into the country initially and then coordinated air bombardments dropping 10,000 bombs on the country over a period of eight months.
Libyan wealth was stolen by the imperialists and the country remains one of the most dangerous in the world with no semblance of the rule of law. The CIA-Pentagon-NATO inspired instability has since 2011 spread throughout the regions of North and West Africa.
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