Libya frees detained ICC staff after apology

Melinda Taylor was accused of carrying a pen camera and attempting to give Seif al-Islam a coded letter from his former right-hand man, Mohammed Ismail, who is wanted by the National Transitional Council (NTC) Government.Her interpreter, Lebanese born Helen Assaf was held as an accomplice. They were accused  of breaching national security and held with two other colleagues at Zintan by the Zintan Brigade militia since 7 June. The four had been summoned to a Libyan court on July 23 to complete the judicial process which was set in motion by the prosecutor general's investigations. It was not clear if they would have to return to Libya.

ICC president Sang-Hyung Song, speaking at a news conference in Zintan, thanked the Libyan authorities for mediating the release of the court's legal team.

The ICC is grateful to the Libyan authorities for making the necessary arrangements to allow the release of the ICC members," Song said."I wish to apologise for the difficulties which arose due to these events. There will be an investigation following the return of (the ICC) members to The Hague.Any member found with any misconduct will face appropriate sanction."

This has been an embarrassing episode for the ICC and may affect the way it pursues its cases iabroad. It may  also affect Saif ul Islam's right to a free trial . The Libyans are anxious to try him in Libya but first of all the central government has to successfully transfer him to Tripoli  from Zintan where he has been held by the Zintan Brigade since his capture last November.

Marek Marczynski of Amnesty International said the detention of the ICC staffers marked a "totally unacceptable" denial of liberty which prevented them from performing their functions. However this is another instance of the West and the Arab world not seeing eye to eye and the ICC will continue to face setbacks to establishing its authority.