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Libyan TNC shows worthy defending fruits of victory – Margelov

Saif was captured near the southern city of Sabha with two aides

MOSCOW, November 19 (Itar-Tass) — By avoiding the rabble over Saif Al Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, the Transitional National Council of Libya showed worthy defending the fruits of the military victory, Russian special envoy for Africa Mikhail Margelov told Itar-Tass.

Commenting on the capture of the senior son of Muammar al-Gaddafi, Margelov, who is also Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said, “The international community watches the new Libyan authorities’ drive for defending the fruits of their military victory.”

The Russian special envoy, who toured to Libya on a mediation mission several times, said, “The abidance by the generally recognised rules related to prisoners’ treatment proves this,” he stressed. “I’m pleased with the fact that this time the new Libyan authorities avoided the rabble over the prisoner although there had been attempts to storm into the plane and rouse rabble,” he added.

Commenting on further fate of the senior son and former successor, Margelov recalled that the International Criminal Court’s accusations of outrage on humanity “are very serious and require qualified juridical examination”. “That is why we should laud the Libyan authorities’ consent to cooperate with the International Criminal Court,” the legislator stressed.

Muammar Gaddafi's second and highest-profile son, who vowed to die fighting but was taken without firing a shot, was captured along with several bodyguards by fighters near the town of Obari in Libya's southern desert, said the interim justice minister and other officials.

Saif was said to be in good health, according to the justice minister Mohammed al-Alagi, although photographs showed bandages . "We have arrested Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in [the] Obari area," the minister told Reuters. Saif was captured near the southern city of Sabha with two aides trying to smuggle him out to neighbouring Niger, militia commander Bashir al-Tayeleb said.