UK revokes immunity for Gaddafi and family

LONDON: Britain abolished the diplomatic immunity of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family, the Foreign Minister, William Hague, said as he urged him to resign.

UN Security Council unanimously voted earlier to refer to the violent suppression of popular uprisings Libyan for the International Criminal Court.

The sanctions also include freezing the assets of Mr. al-Qadhafi and his closest relatives and a global ban on travel to embattled ruler and his closest associates.

Mr Hague also said the UK was "actively working" to establish how many Britons were in Libya as the final evacuation of the mission were planned.

Dozens of oil workers have been dramatically saved by military aircraft from remote locations in the desert on Saturday night in a secret mission involving British special forces.

The Foreign Minister said the mission was launched without the authorization of the administration of Gaddafi and will not speculate further on whether such operations were planned.

To the question, the Libyan leader could remain in power, Mr Hague said the BBC1 Andrew Marr Show: "We are a country plunged into civil war, with brutal scenes of murder and the government demonstrators in fact waging a war on its own, so of course it is time for Colonel Gaddafi to go. That is the best hope for Libya.

"And yesterday I signed a directive revoking his diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom, but also the diplomatic immunity of his sons, his family, his family.

"So it's very clear where we stand on his status as head of state."