Gaddafi Dead: Burial Delayed by Investigation, Body Lies in Cooler (VIDEO)
The burial of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi has been delayed until the circumstances of his death can be examined by officials who are making a decision about where to bury the body of the slain leader and in what kind of fashion.
The U.N. Human Rights office called for an investigation into Gaddafi’s death despite the fact traditional leadership had said it would bury the dictator Friday in accordance with Islamic tradition.
The body, which was shown to fighters and a witness from Reuters bore a bullet hole in the side of his head as well as a large bruise on one side and scratch marks.
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Informational Minister Mahmoud Shammam said Gaddafi’s body was still in Misrata where it was taken after he was found in his hometown of Sirti.
Two months after he was driven from power and into hiding, Thursday’s death of Gaddafi decisively buries his 42-year regime.
"He will get his right like any Muslim, his body will be washed and treated with dignity. I expect he will be buried in a Muslim cemetery within 24 hours," commander Abdul-Salam Eleiwa said in Misrata, where fighters are keeping Gaddafi's body in a large cold store in an old market area as reported by Reuters.
U.N. Human Rights Council spokesperson Rupert Colville said a panel from the UN would likely examine the circumstances of the 69-year-old leader’s death as they investigated abuses in Libya earlier this year.
"We believe there is a need for an investigation," Colville said. "More details are needed to ascertain whether he was killed in some form of fighting or was executed after his capture."
Khaled Almslaty, a 42-year-old clothing vendor in Tripoli, said he wished Gaddafi had been captured alive, as reported by Time magazine.
"But I believe he got what he deserved because if we prosecuted him for the smallest of his crimes, he would be punished by death," he said. "Now we hope the NTC will accelerate the formation of a new government and ... won't waste time on irrelevant conflicts and competing for authority and positions."
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE IN VIDEO BELOW
