International judges today unsealed an arrest warrant for Libya's former security chief, accusing him of carrying out war crimes in 2011 to quash opposition to late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The warrant, first issued in 2013 by the International Criminal Court, charges Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled, once head of Libya's internal security agency, with three charges of war crimes and four crimes against humanity.
Between February and August 2011, the Libyan military, intelligence and security agencies carried out attacks on the civilian population "in furtherance of a policy designed by the Libyan state to quash the political opposition to the Gaddafi regime by any means," the warrant said.
That included "lethal force and by arresting, detaining, torturing and abusing perceived political opponents".
Prisoners in various places across Libya "were subjected to various forms of mistreatment, including severe beatings, electrocution, acts of sexual violence and rape, solitary confinement" as well as mock executions.
As head of the agency from February to August 2011, Khaled "had the authority to implement Gaddafi's orders," it added.
The prosecutor's office asked for the warrant to be made public as it "may facilitate (his) arrest and surrender as all states will then be aware of its existence," the court said.
Born in the Janzour area of Libya, west of Tripoli, in 1942, Khaled was known by several aliases, and had "at least 10 different passports, some issued under other identities," the warrant says.
The warrant appeals to the authorities in Egypt to co- operate with the court's request for his arrest and surrender.
According to Libyan media, he was arrested in Cairo in April 2012, but was released again as there was no warrant against him. Since then he is believed to have dropped out of sight.
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