Gaddafi family to file war crimes complaint against NATO: Lawyer

Muammar Gaddafi's family plans to file a war crimes complaint against NATO with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the alliance's alleged role in his death, the family's lawyer said today.

The 69-year-old ex-strongman was captured and killed Thursday near the city of Sirte in circumstances that are still unclear, but it has been confirmed NATO aircraft fired on pro-Gaddafi vehicles driving in a convoy from the city.

Marcel Ceccaldi, a French lawyer who previously worked for Gaddafi's regime and now represents his family, told AFP that a complaint would be filed with the Hague-based ICC because NATO's attack on the convoy led directly to his death.

"The wilful killing (of someone protected by the Geneva Convention) is defined as a war crime by Article 8 of the ICC's Rome Statute," he said.

He said he could not yet say when the complaint would be filed, but said it would target both NATO executive bodies and the leaders of alliance member states.

"Gaddafi's homicide shows that the goal of (NATO) member states was not to protect civilians but to overthrow the regime," Ceccaldi said.

"Either the ICC intervenes as an independent and impartial jurisdiction or it doesn't, in which case force will overrule the law," he said.

Libya's ruling National Transitional Council has announced an investigation into Gaddafi's death.