ICC officials leave Libya after release from detention on charges of spying

Tripoli, July 3 (ANI): International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, including Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor and three other colleagues, have flown out of Libya after they were released from four weeks of detention on suspicion of spying.

According to The BBC, the ICC said they arrived in The Netherlands late on Monday.

They were released after ICC President Sang-Hyun Song visited Libya and apologized.

During a news conference in Zintan, west of Tripoli, Song offered an apology to the Libyan authorities for the 'difficulties' caused by the mission.

He also thanked the Libyan authorities for their agreement 'to release the Court's staff members so that they can be reunited with their families'.

The team had been accused of spying while visiting Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in the town of Zintan.

Saif al-Islam has been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, but Libya has insisted he should be tried by a Libyan court.

They are still scheduled to appear before a court in Tripoli on 23 July for a final ruling on their case, a senior member of the Libyan attorney general's office said. We expect them to come back for the hearing but if they don't, a ruling will be made in absentia," the source said.

The ICC employees had been accused of jeopardizing Libya's national security.

Melinda Taylor, was accused of passing Saif al-Islam coded documents, allegedly written by his former right-hand man, during the team's visit.

Last week, the ICC promised in a statement to investigate any claims of wrongdoing by its staff upon their release and to impose 'appropriate sanctions' if necessary. (ANI)