Gadhafi Son Defense Calls for ICC to Disqualify Prosecutor

A lawyer for Moammar Gadhafi's son Seif al-Islam has called on the International Criminal Court to disqualify chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Campo from the case, alleging possible bias, the ICC said Saturday.

The submission made Thursday was published on the website of the ICC, which is in a tussle with the new Libyan authorities holding Seif al-Islam over the right to try him.

Xavier-Jean Keita, the defense lawyer appointed by the ICC, claimed that Moreno-Ocampo's impartiality "might reasonably be doubted," both in regard to "the success of the Libyan admissibility challenge" and "the culpability and credibility" of their client.

He said Moreno-Ocampo had participated in press conferences with the Libyan authorities and said that his Libyan counterpart had a "solid case" against Seif Al-Islam.

The ICC said Friday it had invited all parties, including the United Nations Security Council, to give their opinions on Libyan objections that he be tried in the court in The Hague.

The observations from the ICC prosecutor, the defense team, representatives of alleged victims and the Security Council should be submitted by June 4, it said.

On Tuesday the National Transitional Council, which took charge in Libya after the overthrow of the Gadhafi regime last year, officially asked the world court judges to quash the ICC's request for his surrender and throw out the case.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Seif al-Islam and Gadhafi's intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi for crimes against humanity while Tripoli has been adamant they should face justice in Libya.

The dead dictator's 39-year-old son remains in the custody of a militia in the town of Zintan. Senoussi, who is also wanted by France and Libya, is being held in Mauritania where he was arrested last month.