A judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague has said Libya must start making arrangements to hand over Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam.
He is wanted by the court to face charges of crimes against humanity in connection with the violent suppression of protests during the Libyan uprising.
At present, Saif al-Islam is being held by a militia from the town of Zintan at a secret location.
Libya's governing National Transitional Council has said it wants to try him at home, but the ICC says a UN Security Council resolution obliges Libya to co-operate with the court and hand him over to international justice.
The ICC said yesterday: "Absent any justification for postponing the execution of the surrender request the government of Libya must therefore: make a decision to grant the surrender request."
It added Tripoli should start making arrangements for Saif's surrender to the court "without further ado".
Should Libya fail to comply it "may warrant that the court make a finding to that effect", but did not elaborate.
Saif, seen as Gaddafi's de facto prime minister, was arrested on 19 November 2011, and remained in the custody of the military council of Zintan, a town 180km southwest of Tripoli.
He, together with former Libyan spy master Abdullah al-Senussi, 62, who was picked up in Mauritania last month, are wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity committed in trying to put down Libya's bloody uprising that began in mid-February last year.
Human Rights Watch said Saif remained in custody in Zintan and it was unclear whether he has seen a lawyer.
