Ashraf Abdul-Wahab and Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI — Abdullah Senussi, Gaddafi's intelligence chief and brother-in-law, made his first appearance in court in Tripoli Thursday to face charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and human rights crimes during the revolution, along with 36 other former regime defendants. Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi, however, did not join Senussi in the court despite an announcement from the attorney general that, along with orders to various towns to hand over their former regime prisoners, he had ordered Zintan to send Gaddafi's son to Tripoli. The Tripoli hearing was largely concerned with the formalities of establishing charges and identities. Along with Senussi who looked thin and gaunt, appearing to confirm his doctor's claim that he has prostate cancer, the 36 accused appearing Thursday included Gaddafi's External Security Agency head Abu Zaid Omar Dorda, former foreign minister Abdul Ati El-Obaidi, the General People's Conference head Mohamed Al-Zway, former prime minister Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, and Tripoli Internal Security Agency head Mansour Dhou. Unlike Senussi, Dorda, Obaidi and Zway have already made court appearances in Tripoli. Dorda's case was adjourned on several occasions while Obeidi and Zway, who were arrested in July 2011, were found not guilty in June on charges of maladministration while in office and wasting public funds. Proceedings against Mansour Dhou, captured in Sirte by Misratan forces on Oct. 20, 2011, first opened in Misrata two months ago when he was charged, among other things, with employing foreign mercenaries to set up rocket launchers to attack NATO aircraft. He was transferred to Tripoli Thursday morning, in compliance with the attorney general's request. The court proceedings were watched by a handful of foreign press reporters alongside local print and media journalists. Outside the court, there was a small protest by families of Busleem prison massacre victims, many with placards demanding that Senussi and others be hanged. Security was high both inside and outside the courtroom, with local shops being asked to close up. — Libya Herald
