Aimen Eljali TRIPOLI — Demonstrators opposed to the government's decision to convert the King's Palace from a museum into administrative offices for the Supreme Judicial Council, demonstrated in front of the building Thursday following alleged threats by government officials to prosecute anyone who tried to block the move. The protestors claimed that the Attorney General's Office had said that anyone who did not comply with the handover or tried to prevent it would be held criminally liable under the law. They told the Libya Herald that they would not be intimidated. The palace, they claimed, had been gifted to the people of Tripoli to be used as a museum of Libyan history. It did not belong to the government, they stated, insisting that they would continue to protest until the plan was dropped. Opposition has grown both within the government and among cultural and heritage groups to the cabinet's decision to convert the former King's Palace from a museum into administrative offices for the Supreme Judicial Council. Built in the 1930s as the Italian governor's palace, the building, which now houses the Museum of Libya, is one of Tripoli's architectural gems. The government published decision 464/2103 last Monday authorizing the handover. The Ministry of Culture and Civil Society has expressed astonishment at the decision. In a statement posted last month on on its website, it says that on two occasions it unequivocally refused the prime minister's request, made on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, to hand over the building. It says it considers the decision as contrary to the law and “an encroachment on the interested party” represented by itself and the Department of Antiquities. In what would be a remarkable development anywhere else in the world, the ministry said it held the Prime Minister's Office legally responsible for any consequences and repercussions of such a decision. It also called on the Council of Ministers to review its decision. It would, it said, draw criticism from experts and archeologists as well as international organizations concerned about Libya's cultural heritage. It appealed to government, Congress, government agencies, civil society bodies and all Libyan citizens to protect Libyan monuments and to be aware of the importance of the country's cultural heritage. It is reported that there is also opposition to the move from the Ministry of Tourism. — Libya Herald
