Mustafa Abdul Jalil | |
|---|---|
مصطفى عبد الجليل | |
.jpg) Abdul Jalil in 2011 | |
| Chairman of the National Transitional Council | |
| In office 5 March 2011 – 8 August 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Mahmoud Jibril Ali Tarhouni(Acting) Abdurrahim El-Keib |
| Vice President | Abdul Hafiz Ghoga Mustafa Honi |
| Preceded by | Muammar Gaddafi(Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution) Mohamed Abu al-Qasim al-Zwai(Secretary General of General People's Congress) |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Ali Salim(Acting President of the General National Congress) |
| Secretary of the Libyan General Committee for Justice | |
| In office 10 January 2007 – 21 February 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Baghdadi Mahmudi |
| Leader | Muammar Gaddafi |
| Preceded by | Ali Omar al-Hasnawi |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Ahmed al-Qamoudi(Secretary of the Libyan General Committee for Justice) Ali Ashour(Minister of Justice) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 November 1952 Beida,Kingdom of Libya |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | University of Libya |
Mustafa Abdul Jalil[1] (Arabic:مصطفى عبد الجليل; also transcribedAbdul-Jelil, Abd-al-Jalil,[2]Abdel-Jalil,Abdeljalil orAbdu Al Jeleil; born 6 November 1952)[3] is aLibyan politician who was the Chairman of theNational Transitional Council from 5 March 2011 until its dissolution on 8 August 2012. This position meant he wasde factohead of state during a transitional period after the fall ofMuammar Gaddafi's government in theLibyan Civil War, and until the handover of power to theGeneral National Congress.
Before the war, Abdul Jalil served asMuammar Gaddafi's Minister of Justice (officially, the Secretary of theGeneral People's Committee of Justice).[2] He was noted in some news media[who?] for his stance against varioushuman rights violationsin Libya, althoughDiana West accused him of intransigence during theBulgarian nurses affair.[4]
After graduating from the department of Shari'a and Law in the Arabic Language and Islamic Studies faculty ofUniversity of Libya in 1975, Abdul Jalil was initially "assistant to the Secretary of the Public Prosecutor" inBeida, before being appointed ajudge in 1978.[5]
Abdul Jalil was a judge "known for ruling consistently against the regime,"[6] before becoming justice minister in 2007. In January 2010 he attempted to resign on national television over the government's failure to release political prisoners. His resignation was rejected. He resigned on 21 February 2011 after being sent to Benghazi to negotiate the release of hostages taken by rebels,[7][8] being the first senior official to do so.[6]
In classified US diplomatic cablesleaked by the websiteWikiLeaks, he is described as open and cooperative. Following his resignation from Gaddafi's government in protest at its actions during theLibyan Civil War, a bounty of 500,000dinars, roughly 400,000USD, was announced for his capture.[9]
In August 2010, a representative ofHuman Rights Watch praised the fact that Abdul Jalil had "reportedly taken a strong stance againstarbitrary arrests andprolonged detention without trial", commenting that:[10]
The Minister of Justice has taken a very good stance on this group of prisoners. He’s publicly criticized the security agencies for continuing to detain prisoners, despite the fact that they have been acquitted by the courts. And, the problem really is that the Internal Security Agency and the Ministry of Interior have been ignoring court orders.
In a paper published in November 2010,Amnesty International stated similarly, that:[11]
At least 200 others remain detained after serving their sentences or being acquitted by courts. Justice Minister Mostafa Abdeljalil has publicly called for the release of these prisoners, but theInternal Security Agency, which holds them, refuses to comply... Justice Minister Abdeljalil has said that he is unable to order an investigation into abuses by Internal Security Agency Officers because they have immunity. Only the Interior Ministry can waive immunity, but it has consistently refused to do so, he said.
Human Rights Watch made the same observations in its submission to the 2010Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of theUnited NationsHuman Rights Council.[12]
However, L'Express questioned his track record, noting that before being named a minister of justice of Libya in 2007, he was the president of the Libyan Court of Appeal. The paper opined that Abdul Jalil was responsible for the "intransigence" of the court in confirming the death sentences in the"Bulgarian nurses" HIV trial under Gaddafi.[13]
During theLibyan Civil War he was dispatched by Gaddafi's son to Benghazi to allegedly "negotiate the release of hostages taken by Islamists".[6][7] On 21 February, the privately ownedQuryna newspaper reported that he had resigned over "the excessive use of violence against anti-government protesters".[8] On 22 February, he claimed in an interview with Swedish newspaperExpressen that he had proof Gaddafi had personally ordered the 1988Lockerbie bombing.[14] To date, he has not revealed this proof.
On 24 February, theBBC reported that, at a meeting ofopposition politicians, former military officers and tribal leaders the eastern city ofBeida, Abdul Jalil said there would be no talks with the Libyan leader and called for him to step down immediately.[15]
On 5 March,Reuters reported that Abdul Jalil claimed to have "official contacts with European and Arab (countries)" and that "some countries will announce their recognition" of the National Transitional Council "soon".[16]
On 9 March, Abdul Jalil called for the imposition of ano-fly zone over Libya.[1]
As theBattle of Tripoli tilted in favor of forces answering to the NTC, Abdul Jalil said on 24 August that democratic elections would be held in eight months. He also said that Gaddafi and his sons, once captured, would be tried in Libya prior to being sent toThe Hague for trial at theInternational Criminal Court.[17]
On 24 February 2011, opposition politicians, former military officers, tribal leaders, academics and businessmen held a meeting in the eastern city of Beida.[15] The meeting was chaired by Abdul Jalil, whoquit the government a few days before. The delegates stressed the importance of the national unity of Libya and stated that Tripoli is the capital city. They discussed proposals for interim administration with many delegates asking for UN intervention in Libya.[18] The podium at the meeting displayed the pre-Gaddafi era flag of theKingdom of Libya (1951–1969).[19][20]
On 25 February 2011,Al Jazeera reported that talks are taking place between "personalities from eastern and western Libya" to form an interim government for the post-Gaddafi era.[19] On 26 February, it was reported that Abdul Jalil was leading the process of forming an interim government, to be based in Benghazi.[21][22] Abdul Jalil stated that "Gaddafi alone bore responsibility for the crimes that have occurred" in Libya, he also insisted on the unity of Libya and that Tripoli is the capital.[23] The efforts to form an alternative government have been supported by the Libyan ambassador in theUnited States,Ali Suleiman Aujali.[24][25] The Libyan deputy ambassador to the United Nations,Ibrahim Dabbashi, has stated that he supported a new alternative government "in principle".[26]
The members of the new interim government were to be announced on 27 February 2011 at a press conference in the city of Benghazi. Some of the portfolios were to be left vacant for representatives for areas that were still controlled by the Gaddafi-led government.[27] The proposed interim government aims to remain in power for three months after which elections will be held.[28] The new interim government is to include both civilians and persons from the military.[29]
Abdul Jalil was stated to be the head of the National Transitional Council in the council's founding statement of 5 March 2011.[30]
An email fromSidney Blumenthal toHillary Clinton states that "in July and August 2011 NTC security officers discovered evidence that Younis was in secret contact withSaif al Islam Qaddafi. In response to this report a sensitive source stated that Jalil ordered NTC security officers to assassinate Younis while en route to a meeting at NTC headquarters. Jalil then reported that Younis had been killed by Islamistdissidents among his troops."[31]
The same email to Clinton also states that "Zeidan's efforts are complicated by the ongoing legal problems of former National Transitional Council (NTC) leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, who will be questioned by both military and civilian prosecutors regarding his role in the July 2011 assassination of GeneralAbdel-Fattah Younis, Gadhafi's former interior minister and one of the first majordefectors from the oldregime. Jalil and 10 other NTC officials have been charged with Younis' death, though none have been arrested".[31]
In an October 2020 TV interview, Jalil denied any involvement in Younis' assassination, but alleged Younis' defection was a ruse to preserve the "deep state" of theGaddafi regime.[32]
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded byas Leader and Guide of the Revolution of Libya | Chairman of the National Transitional Council of Libya 2011–2012 | Succeeded byas Acting President of the General National Congress |
| Preceded byas Secretary General of General People's Congress of Libya | ||
| Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969) |  .svg) .svg) .svg) | ||||
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| Libya under Gaddafi (1969–2011) |
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