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Australia demands release of lawyer held in Libya

Dunya News

Australia demanded Libyan authorities to immediately release their lawyer detained on Thursday.

Australia demanded on Sunday that Libyan authorities immediately release a lawyer detained while arranging the defence for Seif al-Islam, the son of dead dictator Moamer Kadhafi.Australian Melinda Taylor was one of four International Criminal Court (ICC) staff detained in Libya on Thursday. Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said she was being held for alleged breaches of Libyan national security.Australia wants Libyan authorities to grant immediate consular access to Melinda Taylor and provide every assistance in securing her release, Carr said in a statement.Carr said consular officials continued to seek access to Taylor, in co-ordination with the ICC, Britain and other countries.This was an authorised visit to Libya by an independent legal team, ahead of international court proceedings, Carr said.Libyan authorities have strongly co-operated with the International Criminal Court to date.I urge that co-operation to continue, with immediate consular access to Ms Taylor and a swift end to her detention in Zintan.Carr said he was concerned about the safety of Taylor and her colleagues particularly as there has been no contact by consular staff.Taylor is understood to be under house arrest in Zintan, which lies about 180 kilometres (110 miles) southwest of the Libyan capital Tripoli.A commander with the Zintan brigade, the former rebel fighters who captured Seif and are still holding him, said one of the lawyers -- sources said Taylor -- had been trying to pass dangerous documents to him.Although the ICC delegations visit was authorised by Libyas chief prosecutor, the complaint was that Taylor had tried to deliver the documents without first declaring them.The ICC wants to try both Seif, 39, and his late fathers spymaster, Abdullah Senussi, for crimes against humanity committed while trying to put down last years bloody revolt.But the new regime in Libya wants to put Seif on trial in a local court.Kadhafi was captured and killed by rebel forces on October 20 as his regime collapsed.