International Criminal Court probes Libya shootings

Lawyers are investigating seven shootings in Libya which could see Colonel Gaddafi charged with crimes against humanity.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, said his team was collecting evidence of unarmed protesters being fired on during the early days of the uprising in the country.

A report will be handed to the United Nations Security Council in May before judges at the ICC decide whether charges can be brought. "We are collecting evidence, focusing on the first 12 days, which is a clear-cut situation where there were unarmed civilians in demonstrations," Mr Moreno Ocampo told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We are confirming that they were shot. We have evidence that they were shot. The issue for us now is to find who shot them and who ordered the shooting."

He said it was not clear how Libya would respond to charges, as it had previously signed up to a Security Council request for Sudan to co-operate with the ICC.

"We will see what Mr Gaddafi does, but I am not sure if he will be the person charged. The next challenge after we send the case will be how to arrest the person."