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| Africa North |
| Still no access to lawyer for Senussi |
| 2013-04-21 |
| [Libya Herald] Abdullah Al-Senussi, Qadaffy's cousin and former spy-chief, has still not seen a lawyer despite having spent nearly eight months in a Libyan jail, according to Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... (HRW). "I asked for a lawyer on the second or third day after my arrival here in Libya," Senussi told HRW on the international NGO's prison visit last week, adding: "I haven't seen or spoken with a lawyer yet." The visit to the Hadba Correction Facility in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... -- a newly-renovated jail which is holding several senior Qadaffy-era officials -- was arranged by Justice Minister Saleh Marghani. Senussi has been held there since his extradition from Mauritania in September 2012. HRW Researcher for Libya, Hanan Salah, who made the visit, told the Libya Herald that HRW had requested a visit soon after Senussi was extradited. She said, however, that "it took some months to agree on the modalities of the visit, as we requested to see him in private without the presence of a guard." Senussi said that he has repeatedly requested access to a lawyer in monthly judicial reviews of his detention. Justice Minister Marghani told HRW: "Senussi has the right to a defence lawyer of his choice like any other person standing trial." He said that so far no Libyan lawyer had taken on the case. The acting head of the Hadba facility, Mohamed Gweider, told HRW that it would probably be difficult to find a Libyan lawyer to represent Senussi. However, there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... Marghani said that Senussi could be represented by a foreign lawyer with permission to practice in Libya. "Libya's wish to put the people they hold responsible for gross human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights,mind you... violations on trial is fully understandable," said Middle East and North Africa director at HRW, Sarah Leah Whitson. "But to achieve true justice, they need to give Senussi the rights that the previous government denied Libyans for so long. To start with, that means making sure he can consult a lawyer." |
| Posted by:Fred |