Libya Wants Niger to Extradite Moammar Gadhafi's Son Saadi

Libya urged Niger on Saturday to extradite Moammar Gadhafi's son Saadi, saying his call for Libyans to prepare for a coming uprising threatened bilateral ties.

In response, Niger pledged to tighten house surveillance of Saadi, who fled south to the West African state in September as Libyan rebels gained the upper hand over Gadhafi's forces. But it reiterated that Saadi could not be handed over to a state where he could face execution.

In a telephone call to Al Arabiya television late on Friday, Saadi said that he was in regular contact with people in Libya who were unhappy with the authorities put in place after the ousting and killing of his father.

The council demands that the Niger government extradite Saadi and those who are with him to the Libyan authorities as soon as possible to maintain the relationship with the Libyan people, National Transitional Council representative Mohammed al-Harizy said, reading a statement to reporters. They should follow the Algerian government, which prevented Gadhafi's daughter from making statements or causing any trouble from their land, he said, adding that NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil had called Niger's president to discuss Saadi.

Algeria ordered members of Gadhafi's family in exile on its territory to stay out of politics, after Gadhafi's daughter Aisha angered the Libyan government by telling the media her father was still fighting to hold onto power.

The Libyan News Agency LANA earlier said Niger's Foreign Minister Bazoum Mohamed and his Libyan counterpart Ashour Bin Hayal had spoken by telephone. It quoted Bin Hayal as saying Saadi's comments threaten the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Authorities in Niger signaled that their position on any future extradition of Saadi had not changed. We will hand over Saadi Gadhafi to a government which has an independent and impartial justice system, government representative Marou Amadou told a hastily convened news conference. But we cannot hand over someone to a place where he could face the death penalty or where he is not likely to have a trial worthy of the name, he added.

Tighter Surveillance

Amadou acknowledged that Saadi's comments violated a condition of his stay in Niger not to engage in subversion against the Libyan authorities, and pledged tighter surveillance of his residence in the capital Niamey. Measures have already been taken by the government so that this never happens again, he said without elaborating.

In his televised phone call, Saadi said he was in contact from Niger with the Libyan army, militias, the NTC, and other members of the Gadhafi family.

The National Council confirms that there was not and there will not be any communication or negotiation with Saadi or anyone from the former regime, said Harizy, the NTC representative. We assure the Libyan people that neither Saadi nor anyone else can raise the Gadhafi flag on Libyan soil ... Let Saadi know and whoever is standing behind him that the February 17 revolutionaries have not put down their weapons yet and they are ready to face any foolish attempt with force.

Interpol last year issued a red notice requesting member states to arrest Saadi with a view to extradition if they find him on their territory. Niger has cited other reasons for not extraditing Saadi, including a United Nations travel ban on him.

It has pledged to comply with commitments to the Hague-based International Criminal Court, which has not indicted Saadi, who before the war was best known for his soccer obsession.

The ICC has indicted Saadi's brother Saif al-Islam for crimes against humanity. Saif al-Islam, once viewed as a likely successor to his father, is held by a militia in Libya, where he awaits trial on rape and murder charges.

In an interview broadcast by France 24 on Saturday, but recorded before Saadi's interview was aired, Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou stated that Niger would study any extradition request on strict legal merits. If we receive an official request, we will study it. We are a state based on the rule of law. We will study that question according to our laws and our international commitments, Issoufou told France 24.

The Libyan conflict has created new problems for the fragile region to its south. Heavily armed former fighters from Gadhafi's army have joined a new rebellion in northern Mali that has forced tens of thousands to flee from their homes.

(Additional reporting by Abdoulaye Massalaatchi in Niamey and Mark John in Dakar; Writing by Mark John and Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alistair Lyon)