The Hague: Europe and the Arabs
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) welcomed the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I to grant its request for an arrest warrant for the suspect in the Libya situation, Saif Sulaiman Sunidel. Sunidel, a Libyan national, is accused of the war crimes of murder, outrages upon personal dignity, and torture committed in eastern Libya in the context of a non-international armed conflict. According to a statement issued by the court headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, a copy of which we received via email, it also stated, "Sneidel was an officer in Group 50 of the Saiqa Brigade, which participated in an operation launched by the so-called Libyan National Army in Benghazi, known as Operation Dignity, in May 2014.
In issuing the arrest warrant in November 2020, the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Sneidel participated in three executions in which a total of 23 people were killed. These executions were carried out on or before 3 June 2016, on or before 19 June 2017, and on or about 17 July 2017, in Benghazi or its surrounding areas. The Chamber also concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Sneidel was criminally responsible for torture.
The original decision, as in the Office's request submitted in May, was 2020, confidentially to maximize the chances of arrest and minimize the risks of the ongoing criminal investigation. For this reason, no details of the request or the arrest warrant could be provided at this stage. However, in July 2025, the Office requested that the arrest warrant be lifted due to changed circumstances and the increased likelihood of arrest. "The judges' decision to release the arrest warrant improves the chances of arrest. The Court can now discuss issues related to potential arrest with States, the UN Security Council, and the international community as a whole, enhancing support and cooperation." “We hope to create momentum for Mr. Sneedle’s arrest and surrender,” stated Deputy Prosecutor Nuzhat Shamim Khan.
The Office calls on the Libyan authorities to implement the arrest warrant, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), which referred the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court. The Office of the Prosecutor seeks to work closely with the Registry and the Court’s partners to assist in securing the suspect’s arrest.
Sneedle’s case falls within the alleged crimes related to the 2014-2020 operations, demonstrating the Office’s commitment to pursuing accountability for Libyan victims across multiple investigative lines. The investigation in Libya follows four main investigative lines: the 2011 violence, crimes in detention centers, crimes related to the 2014-2020 operations, and crimes against migrants. As the Office pledged to the United Nations Security Council, the situation in Libya remains a critical priority.
On 16 July 2025, authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany arrested a suspect. Another person in the situation in Libya, Khaled Mohamed Ali Al-Hishri, is under an ICC arrest warrant for crimes committed in detention centers.
The case against Snaydell is closely linked to that of the deceased ICC suspect, Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli. The Prosecution alleges that Snaydell was a close associate of Mr. Al-Werfalli and played a significant leadership role alongside him in the Saiqa Brigade. Prior to his death, Al-Werfalli was the subject of two ICC arrest warrants for eight executions in Benghazi, three of which the Prosecution alleges that Snaydell participated in.
The Office is grateful to the victims and witnesses for their courage and willingness to cooperate with the investigation. Deputy Prosecutor Khan said: “Our Office remains firmly committed to achieving accountability for the victims of atrocities in Libya. The results of our work are thanks to and for them. Thanks to their commitment, and with the cooperation and support of all partners, we can make progress in combating impunity in Libya and in all situations."

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court conducts preliminary investigations, independent and impartial investigations, and prosecutions of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.