Australia calls for immediate release of lawyer in Libya

Australia called on the Libyan authorities to immediately release an Australian defence lawyer held in Libya after trying to meet Saif al-Islam, son of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi. Lawyer Melinda Taylor is one of four members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) staff detained in Libya since Thursday. Locals are suspicious about documents she tried to pass to Saif al-Islam, according to the (BBC). Spokesman for Australia's foreign ministry said consular officials were seeking access to her, as well as "clarification from the government in Tripoli on the circumstances of her detention." Libya's representative at the ICC, Ahmed al-Jehani, said Taylor was "under house arrest in Zintan, not in prison". During her visit to Saif al-Islam, the lawyer tried to deliver documents to him, letters that represent a danger to the security of Libya, Al-Jehani said. Saif al-Islam, who was captured last November by militiamen as he tried to flee the country, has been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity.