(2 Jul 2012) Libya on Monday released four International Criminal Court staffers who had been held for nearly four weeks on allegations that they shared documents that could harm national security with Moammar Gadhafi's imprisoned son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi.
As they were released, ICC President Sang-Hyun Song, a South Korean judge, apologised to the Libyan government and people for the incident and promised an investigation into the allegations.
Song flew to Libya for the handover.
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz said he was pleased that the issue had been resolved.
"I'm happy that we reached this conclusion. I think it's a win-win situation on both parties," he said as the plane departed.
A special flight arranged by the Italian government and carrying Song and the staffers landed at Rome's Ciampino airport late on Monday.
The staffers and Song took off for Rotterdam a few minutes later.
The staffers did not speak to the media.
"Well, I'm very happy to bring them all back to freedom," the court president told reporters.
"The Libyan government gave me their version of the investigation. We will do our own separately, so the results will be known after some weeks," Song added.
Seif al-Islam was the most senior member of the ousted Gadhafi regime to be captured in last year's civil war.
Long viewed as a likely heir-apparent to his father, he faces charges by the ICC of crimes against humanity.
His trial has been at the heart of a dispute between the ICC and the Libyan government.
Libyan authorities have challenged the ICC's right to try Seif al-Islam, saying the international court is a tribunal of last resort, intended to try suspects from countries that cannot or will not prosecute
them.
The court had expressed concern that Libya's judiciary is not yet ready to give Seif al-Islam a fair trial.
The ICC judges ruled on June 1 that Libya doesn't have to hand over Seif al-Islam at least until a ruling on Tripoli's challenge.
Libyan authorities say they placed Australian defence attorney Melinda Taylor and her Lebanese translator under house arrest after they visited Seif al-Islam in prison in the western town of Zintan and allegedly shared documents that could harm the country's national security.
The ICC group also included a Russian national and a Spanish national.
Seif al-Islam was captured by Zintani rebels late last year and has been held there ever since.


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