The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called upon the Libyan government not to grant amnesty to those accused of war crimes during last year’s uprising against Colonel Gaddafi , regardless of who the perpetrators were.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Fatou Bensouda, acknowledged a Libyan law that granted amnesty for ‘acts made necessary by the 17 February revolution’, saying,

"I encourage the new Libyan government, scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow, on 8 November, to ensure that there is no amnesty for international crimes and no impunity for crimes, regardless of who the perpetrator is and who is the victim,"

She went on to say that Libya “remains of serious concern”  to her praised the ICC issue of arrest warrants for Gaddafi and members of his regime, adding,

“No investigations of these crimes would conceivably have been undertaken by the Qadhafi regime and ICC intervention was, at that time, the only way to establish justice for victims of the Qadhafi regime’s crimes”.

Bensouda added that the ICC would help "to make justice a reality for Libya's victims" and called on other countries to increase efforts "in any way they can to combat impunity and reinforce a culture of the rule of law".

Rosemary DiCarlo, deputy US ambassador to the UN commented,

"As Libyans chart the country's future, justice and accountability issues will remain central to the success of Libya's transition and essential to securing lasting peace”.