The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seekingarrest warrants for the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, and two peopleclose to him for crimes against humanity.

The ICC's chiefprosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, says he has proof that Colonel Gaddafi,his son, Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law, Abdullah al-Senussi,have been responsible for widespread and systematic attacks oncivilians.

"His forces attacked civilians in their homes and in the public space."

Judges in the Hague must now examine the evidence to decide whether or not to issue warrants for the three mens' arrest.

The Libyan government says it does not recognise the ICC's jurisdiction, and would ignore its announcement.

TheICC prosecutor has moved with unprecedented swiftness in hisinvestigation, with the request for arrest warrants coming just two anda half months after the Security Council referral.

MrMoreno-Ocampo said the pace of the investigation was due to the globalconsensus that the crimes committed in Libya had to be investigated,although judges would now need to decide whether there is sufficientevidence to issue warrants.

The ICC has no police force and relies on member states to enforce arrests.

DespiteNATO bombing operations intended to protect civilians, Libya has beenplunged into civil war, seriously complicating efforts to arrest ICCsuspects.