Foreign

Foreign

British FM: â€œBritain will not offer Libyan Foreign Minister immunity, but the government is in discussion with himâ€

31 March 2011 15:02 (UTC +04:00)

Britain refused Thursday to offer Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa immunity from prosecution after his apparent defection, but said his departure would hearten rebels fighting to topple Muammar Gadhafi’s regime. The British government is in discussion with Koussa, and Hague said the Foreign Office would release further details in due course. Hague said the former Libyan foreign minister was voluntarily talking to British officials, including members of the British embassy in Tripoli, now based in London, and that further details would be released in due course. Addressing the concerns over the defection of Koussa, Hague added he that had been communicating with him over recent weeks, and that the former Libyan diplomat had been his â€œchannel of communication to the regime in recent weeks.â€ He said he had spoken to Mr Mussa, who is "no longer willing" to represent the Libyan regime several times on the telephone.

Foreign Secretary William Hague says the resignation of Koussa, one of the most senior members of Gadhafi’s government, shows that the Libyan leader’s regime is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling.