Hague Holds 'Indirect' Talks With Gadhafi Son

The International Criminal Court has spoken indirectly with Moammar Gadhafi’s son regarding his possible surrender, chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo tells the AP. “Through intermediaries, we have informal contact” with Saif al-Islam, the ICC says in a statement. “The office of the prosecutor has made it clear that if he surrenders to the ICC, he has the right to be heard in court; he is innocent until proven guilty.”

But “there is a group of mercenaries who are offering to move Saif to an African (country) not party to the Rome Statute of the ICC,” Moreno-Ocampo adds. The younger Gadhafi’s whereabouts remain unknown, NPR notes, though a number of conflicting reports have emerged, with some suggesting he is in Mali or may be traveling with South African mercenaries, the New York Times reports. Were he to travel by plane, the prosecutor’s office is “exploring the possibility to intercept” him, Moreno-Ocampo tells Reuters. (More The Hague stories.)