• Follow every moment of Andy Murray’s match • Or keep tabs through Xan Brooks’ live blog • Send your thoughts to simon.burnton@guardian.co.uk First set: Murray 6-6 Gasquet A sense of impending doom grips the audience as Murray twice pulls out of his service action before the game gets under way, and though the Scot does win the game he doesn’t look particularly good in doing so, and he lands few first serves. Gasquet has a strange habit of standing four yards (or more) behind the baseline for many of Murray’s second serves, which is widely regarded as being the biggest chink in his armour. Then every now and then he’ll hit one from a yard inside the baseline. Puzzling. What he’ll do every time he can, though, is rip beautiful backhands down the line. Anyway, tiebreakarama. First set: Murray* 5-6 Gasquet Another easy hold for Gasquet, who – though Murray helps by providing him with the ammunition – produces a few great shots, the highlight being another stunning down-the-line backhand winner. “I like the cut of Gasquet’s jib,” notes David Savage. “Not only does he wear a proper (collared) tennis shirt, he hits proper (one-handed) backhands too. If only he had a double-barrelled surname, he’d be a certainty for the title.” First set: Murray 5-5 Gasquet* Now Gasquet wastes a challenge – the players have lost all of their three appeals so far. Other than man v hawk-eye, which isn’t going so well, this is on a knife-edge. First set: Murray* 4-5 Gasquet A weirdly easy service game, held to love – with Murray barely offering a shot to give away the final point. First set: Murray 4-4 Gasquet* Murray’s first-serve percentage in his first three service games was a very underwhelming 60% – Gasquet’s average over his first four service games was 77%. But that was better from Murray – slower serves, but greater accuracy. First set: Murray* 3-4 Gasquet Having twice decided not to challenge (wrongly), Murray finally has a go (also wrongly). It looks set to be another very standard service game as Gasquet goes 40-0 up, but one brilliant return and a fluffed volley later (er, and another point), it’s deuce. This allows Gasquet to produce a brilliant drop-half-volley on his way to winning the game anyway. First set: Murray 3-3 Gasquet* Three big serves win the game; Gasquet lands three returns and wins two of those points. There have been a lot of attempted lobs already today, I’m noticing. Something to do with attempting to bewilder your opponent by forcing them to confront the presence of a sun, I’m guessing. Not something they had to deal with very often in week one. First set: Murray* 2-3 Gasquet Gasquet has a go at attacking the net – several goes, to be fair. This allows Murray to unleash one great passing shot, but then the Frenchman stays back and creams a brilliant backhand down the line. And Gary Naylor, with some inevitability, wins the competition to produce a “blowing Gasquet” pun that doesn’t seem smutty and crude. “So McEnroe, who often blew a gasket at Wimbledon, is advising Murray on how to blow away a Gasquet at Wimbledon,” he writes. “Quite an important preposition in that sentence, I feel.” First set: Murray 2-2 Gasquet* Gasquet wins the first point after Murray’s first serve was called long – incorrectly, and again unappealed. A sense of gentle sparring pervades, at least until game point when Gasquet attacks a forehand for the first time. A fine shot, but then Murray serves an ace and wins the game anyway. First set: Murray* 1-2 Gasquet Murray’s having some calibration issues with his radar, the upshot being that Gasquet holds to love in a game that revealed little about anything, but did give the line judges a fairly remorseless work-out. First set: Murray 1-1 Gasquet* McEnroe is making a big deal about the importance of not counterpunching, despite that being both players’ natural game. Though you’d have thought that if a tactic is good enough to take a player to No4 in the world it would probably be good enough to take him past the No13. Anyway, Murray’s problem here isn’t so much counterpunching it’s where he’s counterpunching the ball – into the net, quite often, and straight at a French bloke the rest of the time. He’s not helped by an incorrect and unappealed call at 15-15, and before long he’s facing his first break point. It’s saved, though, and the game duly won with a lovely trademark drop shot. First set: Murray* 0-1 Gasquet Murray wins the first point but that’s where the good times end, and three unforced errors hand Gasquet the game. 1.12pm: The players are warmed up. Gasquet to serve. 1.09pm: There are genuine royals in the royal box! I’m talking about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, or Prince William and Mrs William as they’re otherwise known. Preamble Welcome, then, to Andy Murray’s latest step on his route to world domination. Today’s straightforward conquest is Richard Gasquet, the French No17 seed, whom Murray has soundly thrashed every time they’v … hang on … he’s only gone and lost the last two. So who is Richard Gasquet, then? He’s 25, his hero is Zinedine Zidane. He tested positive for Cocaine in 2009 but successfully blamed it on a waitress he kissed in Miami. He doesn’t have dandruff . And he’s a decent outside bet to win Wimbledon if our Andy doesn’t (though it might be worth holding off your trip to the bookies for a couple of hours). They’ve met at Wimbledon once before, in 2008, when Murray fought back from two sets and a break down to win, improbably, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4, in what Murray calls “the best moment I’ve ever had on a tennis court”. More drama like that, please. Only slightly less dramatic. Wimbledon 2011 Wimbledon Andy Murray Tennis Simon Burnton guardian.co.uk
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More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
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More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …More tests ordered as postmortem held after Glastonbury death of Tory constituency aide to David Cameron proves inconclusive Toxicology tests are being carried out on the body of Christopher Shale, the 56-year old constituency aide to David Cameron who was found dead at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday morning. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the initial postmortem had proved inconclusive and a toxicology report had been ordered that would take at least 10 days to deliver its conclusions. An inquest into the death was due to be opened and adjourned by the East Somerset coroner at Wells town hall at 2.30pm on Monday. Police said the postmortem did not suggest the death was suspicious. Shale was the chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative association in the prime minister’s Witney constituency and had been at Glastonbury with his wife and children. He went to the portable toilet in the VIP area where he was staying behind the main stage around lunchtime on Saturday and was found dead at about 9am on Sunday. He had been contacted just after 12.30pm on Saturday by a Downing Street official to tell him not to talk to the press about a memo written by him which was highly critical of the Tory party and had been leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The memo was essentially a strategy document setting out how to recruit members. It said the local party appeared “graceless, voracious, crass, always on the take”, and needed to radically change. Shale spoke to his deputy chairman, Richard Langridge who said he was “cross” about the leak. Langridge was reported saying Shale was “disappointed but it was one of those things”. In a further call, Shale discussed the leak with Cameron’s Witney constituency agent, Barry Norton. Police and sources close to the family said they believed Shale died of a massive heart attack and claimed his family had a history of heart problems. At a press briefing on Monday morning, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It’s true that there was a phone call to [Shale] on Saturday to make him aware of the fact that a story would be running in a Sunday newspaper.” Asked if Cameron was satisfied there had been no inappropriate behaviour by his officials, the spokesman replied: “Absolutely”. Early reports of the death, including one from the Glastonbury festival organiser, Michael Eavis, suggested that Shale had killed himself. These were dismissed as inaccurate. “I am told it was a suicide situation this morning, in the early hours of this morning,” Eavis told a press conference on Sunday. Cameron said the death had left him and his wife, Samantha, devastated, and that “a big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away.” The prime minister had been aware of the memo’s existence and there is deep concern inside Downing Street that its contents, known only to a small number of people, had been disclosed. Party officials had said earlier that there was no suggestion from Shale’s behaviour that he was overly concerned about the leak. Shale’s contacts with No 10 officials were seen as routine and polite, and he is not believed to have taken up the advice to speak to the party headquarters. One senior source said the heart attack was “just a dreadful coincidence”, adding: “The story in the Mail on Sunday did not concern us that much.” After the texts, Shale did contact Norton, who said: “He was absolutely in good health. We understand that his death has been as the result of a heart attack, that is the information we have. “There’s a history of that in his family and anything to the contrary, at the moment, is totally scurrilous.” Asked if Shale had been aware of the Mail article, he said: “Yes he was. He was very aware of that article. He was very circumspect with it, and was quite confident that this was something that was not really an issue. “And he was looking forward to increasing our membership, and was working on a pilot to do that.” It was pointed out that Shale, who worked in PR, management consultancy and marketing, was a robust character not to be fazed by the interplay of media and politics. He had been staying in one of the luxury caravans behind Glastonbury’s pyramid stage. His wife raised the alarm early in the morning, but his body was not found until 9am. Rupert Soames, a businessman and friend of Shale who was at Glastonbury and helped co-ordinate arrangements following his death, said through a spokesman that medics had said they believed Shale had died of a massive heart attack at “around lunchtime” on Saturday. The prime minister said Shale had been “a huge support” over the 10 years he had been MP for Witney. Cameron said: “Christopher was one of the most truly generous people I’ve ever met – he was always giving to others, his time, his help, his enthusiasm, and above all his love of life. “It was in that spirit that he made a massive contribution to the Conservative party. “Our love and prayers are with Nikki and the family. They’ve lost an amazing dad, west Oxfordshire has lost a big and wonderful man and, like so many others, Sam and I have lost a close and valued friend.” In a statement, Eavis said: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to [Shale's] family and friends.” Conservatives David Cameron Glastonbury festival Festivals Robert Booth Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister, speaking at press conference with Wen Jiabao, says two countries ‘should show each other respect’ David Cameron has insisted human rights issues are not “off limits” with China after holding talks with the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao. As the two leaders announced a package of trade deals worth £1.4bn, the prime minister said he would always raise difficult questions about political freedom and the justice system, as well as seeking closer economic ties. Meanwhile, Wen said London and Beijing had to treat each other as “equals” on human rights. He stressed that China was pursuing “political structural reform and improvement of democracy and the rule of law”. The leaders faced the media at a press conference in central London during Wen’s three-day visit to the UK. Asked whether he had raised human rights issues during the talks, Cameron said: “There is no trade-off in our relationship. It is not about either discussing trade or human rights. “Britain and China have such a strong and developed relationship. We have a dialogue that covers all these issues, and nothing is off limits in the discussions that we have. “We are different countries, we have different histories, different stages of development. We should show each other respect. But we’re very clear that political and economic development should go hand in hand, that one supports the other.” Wen said: “On human rights, China and the UK should respect each other, respect the facts, treat each other as equals, engage in more co-operation than finger-pointing and resolve our differences through dialogue. “China is not only pursuing economic development but also political structural reform and improvement in democracy and the rule of law.” David Cameron Foreign policy Wen Jiabao China Human rights guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Prime minister, speaking at press conference with Wen Jiabao, says two countries ‘should show each other respect’ David Cameron has insisted human rights issues are not “off limits” with China after holding talks with the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao. As the two leaders announced a package of trade deals worth £1.4bn, the prime minister said he would always raise difficult questions about political freedom and the justice system, as well as seeking closer economic ties. Meanwhile, Wen said London and Beijing had to treat each other as “equals” on human rights. He stressed that China was pursuing “political structural reform and improvement of democracy and the rule of law”. The leaders faced the media at a press conference in central London during Wen’s three-day visit to the UK. Asked whether he had raised human rights issues during the talks, Cameron said: “There is no trade-off in our relationship. It is not about either discussing trade or human rights. “Britain and China have such a strong and developed relationship. We have a dialogue that covers all these issues, and nothing is off limits in the discussions that we have. “We are different countries, we have different histories, different stages of development. We should show each other respect. But we’re very clear that political and economic development should go hand in hand, that one supports the other.” Wen said: “On human rights, China and the UK should respect each other, respect the facts, treat each other as equals, engage in more co-operation than finger-pointing and resolve our differences through dialogue. “China is not only pursuing economic development but also political structural reform and improvement in democracy and the rule of law.” David Cameron Foreign policy Wen Jiabao China Human rights guardian.co.uk
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ICC orders Libyan leader and his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, to stand trial on charges of torturing and killing civilians and rebels The international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi over crimes against humanity committed against opponents of his regime. The court, based in The Hague, also issued warrants for Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and the Libyan intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi — at the request of the ICC’s chief prosecutor. Gaddafi, in power since 1969, is only the world’s second serving head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant. A warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, was issued in March 2009 over alleged crimes in Darfur. Arrests were necessary to prevent a cover-up and more crimes, said the ICC presiding judge, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng. The investigation launched by the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, follows a referral on 26 February by the UN security council. Resolution 1970 was supported by all members of the council, including Russia and China, which are unhappy with the Nato bombing campaign. The ICC has been attacked by some for pursuing legal avenues at the expense of a possible political solution. Critics argue that Gaddafi and his closest associates will have no incentive to relinquish power or go into voluntary exile if they know they are certain to end up in the dock in The Hague. In Britain, which is playing a leading role in Nato’s military campaign, some officials have said privately that the ICC case could be left “on the back burner” in the hope this would encourage Gaddafi to seek sanctuary in a friendly African country. The Libyan leader has rejected any suggestion that he will stand down or leave the country. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is well connected in the UK, has also vowed to “live or die” in Libya. The Benghazi-based Libyan rebels have strongly supported the ICC case and submitted evidence to the prosecutor. Monageng told the court there were “reasonable grounds to believe” the regime had killed or injured and arrested hundreds of civilians and that Muammar Gaddafi exercised full control over the security forces. His son was described as his father’s “unspoken successor” and the most influential person in his inner circle, with the powers of a de facto prime minister. In his submission to the court last month Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing “a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular”. “Gaddafi’s plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents. “Methods used to torture alleged dissidents have included tying electric wires around victims’ genitals and shocking them with electricity and whipping victims with an electric wire after tying them upside down with a rope connected to a stick.” The Libyan leader ordered snipers to shoot at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents. The judges of the ICC’s pre-trial chamber could have declined the prosecutor’s request or asked for further information before issuing the warrants. The foreign secretary, William Hague, said he welcomed the ICC’s decision. “The warrants further demonstrate why Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and why he should go immediately. His forces continue to attack Libyans without mercy and this must stop.”
Continue reading …ICC orders Libyan leader and his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, to stand trial on charges of torturing and killing civilians and rebels The international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi over crimes against humanity committed against opponents of his regime. The court, based in The Hague, also issued warrants for Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and the Libyan intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi — at the request of the ICC’s chief prosecutor. Gaddafi, in power since 1969, is only the world’s second serving head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant. A warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, was issued in March 2009 over alleged crimes in Darfur. Arrests were necessary to prevent a cover-up and more crimes, said the ICC presiding judge, Sanji Mmasenono Monageng. The investigation launched by the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, follows a referral on 26 February by the UN security council. Resolution 1970 was supported by all members of the council, including Russia and China, which are unhappy with the Nato bombing campaign. The ICC has been attacked by some for pursuing legal avenues at the expense of a possible political solution. Critics argue that Gaddafi and his closest associates will have no incentive to relinquish power or go into voluntary exile if they know they are certain to end up in the dock in The Hague. In Britain, which is playing a leading role in Nato’s military campaign, some officials have said privately that the ICC case could be left “on the back burner” in the hope this would encourage Gaddafi to seek sanctuary in a friendly African country. The Libyan leader has rejected any suggestion that he will stand down or leave the country. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is well connected in the UK, has also vowed to “live or die” in Libya. The Benghazi-based Libyan rebels have strongly supported the ICC case and submitted evidence to the prosecutor. Monageng told the court there were “reasonable grounds to believe” the regime had killed or injured and arrested hundreds of civilians and that Muammar Gaddafi exercised full control over the security forces. His son was described as his father’s “unspoken successor” and the most influential person in his inner circle, with the powers of a de facto prime minister. In his submission to the court last month Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing “a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular”. “Gaddafi’s plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents. “Methods used to torture alleged dissidents have included tying electric wires around victims’ genitals and shocking them with electricity and whipping victims with an electric wire after tying them upside down with a rope connected to a stick.” The Libyan leader ordered snipers to shoot at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents. The judges of the ICC’s pre-trial chamber could have declined the prosecutor’s request or asked for further information before issuing the warrants. The foreign secretary, William Hague, said he welcomed the ICC’s decision. “The warrants further demonstrate why Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and why he should go immediately. His forces continue to attack Libyans without mercy and this must stop.”
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Are you a beast boffin or a fauna fool? See if you can you sniff out the five imposters in this quiz to test your zoological knowledge Shiona Tregaskis
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