prosecution
s against security officials of the government of Muammar Gaddafi. John Leyne reports.
In the central Benghazi, there is the burnt-out shell of the sinister internal security headquarters. Local people told me Colonel Gaddafi’s secret police used to keep prisoners in a row of tiny cells. Each cell held up to five prisoners in a space barely big enough for one person. One small window high up in the wall is the only access to air and light. From the nearby offices, they are taking out secret papers, files on local people, even photos. They believe it was a hit list of those targeted for killing. It’s all been taken away, evidence for possible future prosecutions, the beginning of attempts to
shine a light on
the darkest corners of Colonel Gaddafi’s rule.
Two British military transport aircraft have rescued about 150 oil workers, Britons and other foreign nationals who’ve been stranded in the Libyan desert by the unrest in the country. The Foreign Office said it believed there were a further 300 Britons still in Libya, mainly at desert camps, and efforts will be made to get them to safety.
The Tunisian authorities say three people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the capital of Tunis. Riot police used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to
disperse
hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of the interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi. The protesters fought pitched battles with the police throughout the day as they tried to storm the interior ministry. The demonstrators want Mr Ghannouchi to step down, because he served as prime minister for many years during the rule of the ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. There’ve been regular demonstrations against the caretaker government of Mr Ghannouchi, with protesters demanding a clean break with the country’s former government.