International Criminal Court orders arrest of Qadhafi

Libyans chant slogans against Muammar Qadhafi during a demonstration in the rebel-held capital Benghazi, Libya, on Saturday.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Monday for Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, his son and his intelligence chief for ‘crimes against humanity’ in the early days of their struggle to cling to power.

Judges announced that Mr. Qadhafi is wanted for orchestrating the killing, injuring, arrest and imprisonment of hundreds of civilians during the first 12 days of an uprising to topple him from power after more than four decades, and for trying to cover up the alleged crimes.

Presiding judge Sanji Monageng of Botswana said on Monday there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that Mr. Qadhafi and his son are both “criminally responsible as indirect co—perpetrators” for the murder and persecution of civilians.

The warrants turn Mr. Qadhafi, his son Seif al—Islam Qadhafi and intelligence chief Abdullah al—Sanoussi into internationally wanted suspects, potentially complicating any efforts to mediate an end to more than four months of intense fighting in the North African nation.

Libyan officials rejected the court’s authority before the decision was read out in a Hague courtroom, claiming the court had unfairly targeted Africans while ignoring what they called crimes committed by NATO in Afghanistan, Iraq “and in Libya now.”

“The ICC has no legitimacy whatsoever. We will deal with it. ... All of its activities are directed at African leaders,” government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters on Sunday.