Libya's Muammar Qaddafi and some of his inner circle are currently being investigated for crimes against humanity, following a UN Security Council referral on Feb. 26. It was the first time the council has unanimously approved such action. The US abstained from voting on whether to investigate Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2005 and has never before voted in favor of bringing a case to the court.
ICC Prosecutor José Luis Moreno Ocampo has moved forward swiftly, partially in hopes of halting further violence, according to The New York Times. His office has received confirmation that Qaddafi’s forces had been firing on “peaceful demonstrators” since the uprising began Feb. 15 and that the Libyan leader and his colleagues had command over the forces carrying out the attacks.
