Libya unveils Tripoli courtroom that will host Seif Gaddafi's trial

Saif al-Islam has been in a secret prison since fighters caught him last year. Libya has resisted handing him over to The Hague, saying he has to face justice on Libyan soil.

"We will respect the international law but we do have a lot of respect for our Libyan law and I guarantee you there will be no problem," Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib told reporters after touring the venue, a former military school.

The school had been newly painted in the tri-color post-Gaddafi flag and soldiers lined up neatly to pose for television cameras. Inside, a small courtroom smelled of fresh paint, adorned with newly fitted wall-to-wall carpeting and furniture.

The tour was part of the government's efforts to highlight its preparedness for the trial of former Gaddafi aides, yet, ironically, the government spokesman said Saif al-Islam's trial could end up taking place in a different venue altogether.

Yesterday, the war crimes court said Libya had asked the ICC to postpone its order to surrender Saif al-Islam so that it could formally appeal and hold the trial in Tripoli.

"The Libyan Government regards the trial of Saif al-Islam and (former intelligence chief) Abdullah Al-Senussi as a matter of the highest national importance," the government said in its request to the ICC, according to an ICC statement on Tuesday.

It said this was important "not only in bringing justice for the Libyan people but also in demonstrating that the new Libyan justice system is capable of conducting fair trials (that meet all applicable international standards) in complex cases".

Rights groups have put pressure on Libya's new rulers to explain the procedure of Saif al-Islam's trial. But the prime minister and his entourage were tight-lipped on the details.

"This is not a matter that we can just announce simply, a lot of process goes into it," said Deputy Justice Minister Khalifa Ashour.

Marek Marczynski, an Amnesty International researcher, said Libya should comply with the ICC ruling.

"The main thing is not that if the Libyan administration can organise a courtroom," he told Reuters. "The main thing is the Libyan justice system: is it able to deliver justice to the highest standard of international law."