Justice Here, There, Anywhere?
There is much speculation about what will happen with the Tripoli Three — Muammar Gaddafi, Saif Gaddafi, and Abdullah al-Senussi — all indicted by the International Criminal Court in a move that is seen as having supported and contributed to the shockingly quick “Responsibility to Protect” military response in Libya. After what the Libyan people have endured during the last 40 years, many say that they alone should decide, even if the decision is to try the Three in local courts that will more than likely not be prepared for such a task. Others maintain that the ICC is the most appropriate and only place for them to sit before a judge.
In his blog post “Used and Abandoned: Libya, the UN Security Council and the ICC,” Mark Kersten suggests that it all comes down to politics and interests, with justice losing out.
Kersten says:
If getting a foothold on lucrative oil and reconstruction contracts means acquiescing to a trial of Gaddafi in Libya, then the attitude appears to be: so be it. If that means a trial of the Tripoli Three that isn’t up to the international standards, well, that’s a small price to pay, and who really cares, after his vicious, autocratic tenure that Gaddafi receives a “fair” trial?
