When the UN Security Council approved sanctions on Qaddafi on Feb. 26, it also called for an International Criminal Court inquiry into the violence. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo today said the evidence warrants a full investigation, and he is expected to announce preliminary findings March 3. He has two months to investigate and present his case, after which ICC judges will determine whether to issue arrest warrants, according to Reuters.
Libya, like the United States, is not a signature to the document approving the founding of the ICC and therefore would not normally be subject to its rulings. But because this particular investigation was referred by the security council, the ICC has jurisdiction to prosecute. This was the first time that the US voted in favor of referring a case to the ICC, of which it is not a member.
