ZINTAN, Libya. - The four panel delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who were detained Thursday by Libyan military brigades are now being moved to a jail. According to reports from BBC News they will held for 45 days.
The militia brigade chief, Ajami al-Ateri, announced that the ICC staff members will not be released until a full investigation is conducted. One of the delegates, Melinda Taylor, has been accused of passing on documents to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former dictator, Mohammad Gaddafi.
The delegation went Libya to visit al-Islam. The civil servants were detained after learning that one of the lawyers, Melinda Taylor, was carrying suspicious documents, including a letter from Mohammad Ismaili, an ally of Gaddafi. Libya's lawyer at The Hague told the Guardian that the documents were a threat to Libya's national security.
In a statement released Saturday to BBC News, ICC President Sang Hyun-Song, asked for them to be "liberated immediately." The president also pointed out to Libyan authorities that the delegation was protected by immunity since they were on an official ICC mission. Hyun-Song said, "We are very concerned about the safety of our staff in the absence of any contact with them," as reported by the Guardian.
Melinda Taylor is al-Islam's defense lawyer in his indicment by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the 2011 uprising. The delegations have detained since Thursday.
Currently, al-Islam is also being held in capture by revolutionaries who demand that the case against him be held in Libya as opposed to The Hague.
