International Criminal Court lawyer, Melinda Taylor, has been placed in "preventative detention" in Libya, over allegations that she's been spying.
Taylor travelled to the troubled country with her interpreter as part of an ICC team defending Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (son of Muammar Gaddafi), who has been imprisoned and charged with war crimes. She has been accused of passing a letter to Gaddafi, which Libyan officials say was written by Gaddafi's fugitive right-hand man, Mohammed Ismail. Taylor is also accused of carrying suspicious recording devices.
The Libyan authorities claim the letter was a "threat to national security", according to a Herald report, and have imprisoned Taylor and the other members of her team, despite their diplomatic immunity.
The Australian government, along with the ICC and NATO, have demanded their immediate release but so far there is no indication of when Taylor and her colleagues might be freed. Australia's ambassador to Libya, David Ritchie, has visited the team in prison and confirms that conditions are good although the prisoners are "under duress".
Libyan officials have indicated that the legal team will be detained for at least 45 days whilst the allegations are investigated. Meanwhile, the incident looks set to become a significant impediment to Libya's relations with the international community.
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Taylor travelled to the troubled country with her interpreter as part of an ICC team defending Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (son of Muammar Gaddafi), who has been imprisoned and charged with war crimes. She has been accused of passing a letter to Gaddafi, which Libyan officials say was written by Gaddafi's fugitive right-hand man, Mohammed Ismail. Taylor is also accused of carrying suspicious recording devices.
The Libyan authorities claim the letter was a "threat to national security", according to a Herald report, and have imprisoned Taylor and the other members of her team, despite their diplomatic immunity.
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Melinda Taylor |
The Australian government, along with the ICC and NATO, have demanded their immediate release but so far there is no indication of when Taylor and her colleagues might be freed. Australia's ambassador to Libya, David Ritchie, has visited the team in prison and confirms that conditions are good although the prisoners are "under duress".
Libyan officials have indicated that the legal team will be detained for at least 45 days whilst the allegations are investigated. Meanwhile, the incident looks set to become a significant impediment to Libya's relations with the international community.