Qaddafi’s ex-PM goes on trial for mass rape, graft

TRIPOLI: Deposed Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s former prime minister went on trial yesterday over allegations including corruption and of ordering mass rape during the war last year.
Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi could face life in jail or execution if convicted. He served as the ousted Libyan leader’s prime minister from 2006 until he fled to neighboring Tunisia around the time rebel fighters took Tripoli in August last year.
Tunisia extradited him in June, making him the first senior former Qaddafi official to be returned for trial under Libya’s transitional leadership.
Under heavy security, Mahmoudi appeared in the dock looking healthy and dressed in traditional Libyan clothing. The judge postponed the hearing to Dec. 10 to give the prosecution and defense more time to review documents.
Former spy chief Abdullah Al-Senoussi was the second former Qaddafi official to be extradited to Libya, in September, after being captured in Mauritania on a false passport.
Tripoli considers it a mark of Libya’s transformation for former Qaddafi loyalists to be tried in the country. But human rights groups question whether the justice system can meet international legal standards.