Libya Detains ICC Envoy

Photo Credit: AFP/Gianluigi Guercia

An envoy from the International Criminal Court was placed  in “preventive” detention for 45 days in Zintan, Libya  after one of its lawyers, Melinda Taylor, was accused of carrying suspicious documents for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. Ahmed Jehani, Libya’s envoy to the ICC, alleged that Taylor was carrying a pen camera and a letter from Mohammed Ismail, Saif’s former right-hand man who is now on the run. ICC president Sang-Hyun Song expressed “concern” for the envoy and demanded the delegation’s immediate release, while Australia’s foreign minister, Bob Carr, urged the Libyan government to “facilitate full consular access to Ms Taylor,” an Australian citizen.

Meanwhile, Libyan election commission chief Nouri Al-Abbar announced that Libya’s landmark elections would be postponed to July 7th to give voters more time to register and authorities more time to examine the qualifications of candidates. The U.N. mission in Libya praised the decision to delay the election, saying it will “enable essential preparations to be completed prior to voting.”

Finally, the BBC reports that at least 16 have died in the last two days in fighting between government forces and tribal fighters in the southern town of Kufra. Much of the fighting is believed to be related to a turf war over smuggling routes used by tribes in the city.