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Gadhafi's son captured in Libya

19 Nov 2011 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of slain Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, has been captured in the Libyan desert after weeks on the run, senior military commanders said Saturday.

He was captured by revolutionary fighters in the western town of Obari, near the Algerian border, Libyan senior military commanders in Tripoli told CNN.

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, who was named in an Interpol arrest warrant in September, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution, committed during the uprising.

Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said that if Saif al-Islam Gadhafi is brought before the ICC, he will "have all the rights and be protected," and will be allowed to present a defense.

Once seen as a possible successor to his father and an advocate of reform, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi became a vocal defender of his father's brutal regime.

His whereabouts have been unknown for months. At the end of August he made a call to Syria's Rai TV, in which he said he was speaking from a suburb of the capital, Tripoli, and urged Libyans to rise up against the rebels.

Saif al-Islam is the second-oldest son, the oldest of Gadhafi's second wife Safia. He was educated at the London School of Economics and speaks fluent English.

His father was killed last month near Sirte after his capture by forces loyal to the National Transitional Council. (Source: CNN)