Prisoner of Zintan: Gaddafi son in Libyan limbo

Somewhere, amid the sandstone and concrete buildings of the mountain town of Zintan, Libya's most prominent prisoner awaits his fate.

Some three months after Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured, the son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's fallen leader, is being held, ostensibly to keep him safe from harm until the new Libyan government can put him on trial.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABDELHAMID ABOUDERBALA, HEAD OF THE MILITARY COUNCIL IN ZINTAN, SAYING:

"We have Saif here as a prisoner inside the city of Zintan and Zintan's military council is under the (National) Transitional Council and the government of Libya and whenever the Libyan government request Saif for the prison they are currently preparing for him in Tripoli, we will be ready to hand him over the Libyan government."

But there is some frustration among residents about their well-tended captive.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ZINTAN RESIDENT NAJI MUSSA SAYING:

"They should have killed him at the start, they should hang him, execute him. Why are they treating him well? Why feed him? It's not good. They should execute him."

The International Criminal Court indicted Saif al-Islam in June for crimes against humanity stemming from the crackdown on the Libyan revolt. But Libya's ruling National Transitional Council insists he will be tried at home and will be given a fair hearing.

Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.