Amal Clooney in last-ditch legal bid to save life of Colonel Gadafi's son Saif

Home Top

show ad

Doctor becomes second American named in African lion-killing investigation: Pittsburgh gynecologist who has posed with dead elephants, hippos, zebras and ostriches 'killed lion in illegal hunt'
Donald Trump accuses Obama of 'doing absolutely nothing for the black community' as he soars over GOP rivals again in the latest poll
CEO who set his firm's minimum wage to $70K hits hard times: Highly-paid top employees quit in disgust and his business-partner brother sues him over his own 'excessive' $1m salary
'I'm still deathly insecure about every part of me': Models reveal why they really HATE their job on confessions app... from men using them, to online bullies and strict diets
Bobbi Kristina's relatives cheer and chant her name as they gather at Pat Houston's home for celebration of life party after funeral
EXCLUSIVE - Bobby Brown breaks down: Father of Bobbi Kristina wells up as he leaves her reception after his screaming sister had to be 'escorted out of funeral' mid-service
Tragic last messages of Bobbi Kristina before her overdose death reveal Whitney Houston's daughter feared she'd die like her mother
Bobby Brown's wife hospitalized after Bobbi Kristina's chaotic funeral: New mom Alicia Etheridge has 'a seizure' after a feud and sister's claims that 'Whitney will haunt relatives from the grave'
Girl, 16, who was stabbed at Jerusalem Gay Pride march dies from her wounds
Expert who massively exaggerated Ebola outbreak and said 1.4million could be affected comes under fire
Fourth person dies in New York City Legionnaires outbreak as health official warns more people could be at risk
Obama to unveil unprecedented climate change plans to slash fossil fuel emissions
Property boom in Motor City? Detroit stone cottage that was sold at auction for $31,000 four years ago is now listed for at $260,000
Wild-eyed and dazed: The startling mug shot of the woman who brazenly tried to eat crack cocaine in front of drug agents when they arrested her
Olympic athletes hit by massive doping scandal with claims 55 gold medal winners had 'suspicious' test results
Firefighter and married father of two dies while fighting northern California wildfire
Baltimore suffers its highest murder rate for 43 years - three months after Freddie Gray's death
The baddest woman on the planet: UFC champion Ronda Rousey defends her title by knocking out opponent in just 34 seconds
Civil rights leaders clash with Confederate flag supporters at Georgia 'Heritage or Hate' rally in the shadow of huge sculpture glorifying Civil War leaders
Being unpopular with the opposite sex at school 'boosts your GPA': Researcher claims those who are ignored through their education end up smarter
EXCLUSIVE- 'You're gonna have so much more to be p****d about': Idaho huntress ignores a tide of criticism after Cecil the lion's death and boasts to the world from Africa about killing big game
Jericho is alive: Report that Cecil the lion's brother had also been killed by poacher is false
Animal psychic claims Cecil the lion has spoken to her and given instructions on how to deal with his death
Cecil the lion and other endangered animals are projected on to Empire State Building in stunning New York light display

Saif Gaddafi was condemned last week for crimes against Libyan people
Amal Clooney's legal chambers say he should be put on trial in the Hague
She wants case heard by International Criminal Court – where there is no death penalty

By Robert Verkaik for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 16:00 EST, 1 August 2015 | Updated: 05:22 EST, 2 August 2015

661

View
comments

Leading role: Barrister Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney – the barrister and glamorous wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney – has made an 11th-hour bid to save the lives of the son of Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi and his hated spy chief.

Saif Gaddafi and the former intelligence boss Abdullah al-Senussi were sentenced to death in a Tripoli court last week for crimes against the Libyan people.

Mrs Clooney’s legal chambers represent both Gaddafi and al-Senussi, and have argued that they should be put on trial in the Hague.

She has played a leading role in the bid for the spy chief to have his case heard by judges from the International Criminal Court – where there is no death penalty.

Last night her London chambers Doughty Street described the Libya trial as a travesty of justice and called on the United Nations to halt the executions. Gaddafi and al-Senussi have been told they will be killed by firing squad.

Lead counsel Ben Emmerson QC – speaking on behalf of the legal team acting in the case – told The Mail on Sunday that Mrs Clooney was one of three lawyers working for al-Senussi and that her Doughty Street colleague John Jones QC had been appointed to act for Gaddafi.

Mr Emmerson said the two cases were closely linked as legal arguments centred on the failure of Libyan courts to hold a fair trial.

He said: ‘The trial has been conducted in an atmosphere of extreme fear, insecurity and intimidation in which judicial officers and defence lawyers have been threatened and physically attacked.’

He added: ‘As his international lawyers, we have been repeatedly denied access to him [al-Senussi] – this is an outrage and reveals the true depravity of the Libyan justice system.

'It has descended to the lowest levels imaginable. We call on the Security Council and the whole international community to end this grave injustice and take all steps to overturn the death sentence immediately and uphold international human rights standards.’

In a separate statement, Mr Jones said: ‘It’s a complete show trial, a farce. This trial is effectively being run by militia.’

More than 30 associates of Colonel Gaddafi were tried last week for suppressing peaceful protests during the 2011 uprisings which deposed the dictator.

Saif Gaddafi was not in court, but has previously appeared via video link.

However Mr Jones said the link had worked on only three occasions, leaving him in the dark about the proceedings. ‘They [Tripoli prosecutors] are relying on confessions from defendants extracted by torture. It was condemned by Libya’s own ministry of justice as illegal.’

Gaddafi is being held by a former rebel group from the town of Zintan which refuses to hand him over to the authorities in Tripoli.

Al-Senussi has previously been linked to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. And in 1999 he was convicted in absentia in France for his role in the bombing of an airliner over Niger ten years earlier.

Video link: Saif Gaddafi was sentenced to death in a Tripoli court last week for crimes against the Libyan people

Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is sentenced to death

However, for ordinary Libyans, his name will always be associated with the 1996 massacre of 1,200 inmates at Tripoli’s Abu Salim prison.

Mrs Clooney’s high-profile client list already includes Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, and Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister of Ukraine.

A spokesman for Mrs Clooney said: ‘[Mrs Clooney’s] involvement as counsel for Mr Senussi was limited to the case against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC), in which she argued that he should be tried for crimes against humanity in The Hague (which does not apply the death penalty) rather than Libya.

‘The ICC proceedings came to an end on 24 July 2014, when the ICC Appeals Chamber ruled that the case against Mr Senussi was inadmissible.’