Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has appeared in a court in the country’s western town of Zintan accused of “harming state security,” during the 2011 revolution that overthrew his father.

On Thursday, Saif al-Islam showed up in the courtroom but a judge in the court decided to postpone the trial due to absence of other defendants.

“Saif al-Islam Gaddafi appeared before the Zintan court that decided to adjourn the trial until December 12 to allow the attendance of other accused in the case,” said a lawyer who was present in court.


Moreover, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Libyan officials to hand over Saif al-Islam to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"It is our view he should be handed over to the ICC now because the judges in the Hague have ordered that,” HRW said in statement.

In July, the ICC ruled that Libya had to extradite Saif al-Islam to The Hague in order to face charges of crimes against humanity, stressing that Libya could not give Gaddafi’s son a fair trial.

Libyans rose up against Muammar Gaddafi’s four-decade rule in February 2011 and deposed him in August 2011. He was slain on October 20 of the same year.

Saif al-Islam, who served as Gaddafi’s de facto prime minister, has been in the custody of a local militia in the mountain city of Zintan where the writ of the central government runs weakly.

The 40-year-old was captured in November 2011 while trying to flee the country.