Libyan official says 'Saif Gaddafi will face trail inside country'

Tripoli, Apr 10 (ANI): Slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, will face trial in his home country and there will be a verdict before mid-June, an official has said.

The announcement comes despite appeals by rights groups to Libyan authorities to hand him over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for trial.

Human rights activists fear that Saif may not get a fair trial in Libya.

According to Fox News, spokesman of the ruling National Transitional Council Mohammed al-Hareizi said that Saif will be transferred to Tripoli within ten days and his trial will conclude before parliamentary elections scheduled two months from now.

"He will be tried for rape, murder, corruption and we expect him to be tried and a verdict rendered before the upcoming elections in mid-June," the report quoted al-Hareizi, as saying.

It was, however, unclear if he would be tried in a military court, where there is no appeal.

Revolutionary fighters from Zintan captured Saif in the southern desert of Libya in November.

They have kept him in a secret location in the western Libyan town ever since as the government negotiated for his handover. (ANI)