Carr welcomes UN support for Taylor's release

16 Jun 2012, 11:24 am   -   Source: AAP
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Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor. (AAP)

Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor. (AAP)

Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr says he welcomes support from the United Nations Security Council for the release of Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor from detention in Libya.

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Foreign Minister Bob Carr has welcomed support from the UN, which is calling on Libya to release of Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor and three other International Criminal Court members.

A UN Security Council statement urges Libyan authorities to work towards the immediate release of all ICC staff members.

Senator Carr says he has talked about the detention of Ms Taylor with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the past 24 hours.

"I'm heartened at the strong international support for a swift resolution in this matter," he said in a statement on Saturday.

He said the Taylor case was at the front of diplomatic efforts, particularly by Australia's ambassador to Libya, David Ritchie.

Mr Ritchie met Ms Taylor for around 90 minutes earlier this week.

"Our ambassador is working closely with his international counterparts, with the ICC and with Libyan authorities to seek full consular access to Ms Taylor and a swift end to her detention," Senator Carr said.

The new Libyan government took power last year after a NATO-led military intervention helped topple dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Ms Taylor and three other ICC representatives have been detained in the Libyan city of Zintan since June 7 while representing Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Islam.

Ms Taylor was allegedly found carrying documents for Seif that were judged a threat to national security.

The four lawyers have been placed in preventive detention for 45 days as authorities investigate further.

Senator Carr said the government was cautious in commenting on the allegations against Ms Taylor and her colleagues.

"But we remain committed to making every effort to support Ms Taylor, and to seek her release," he said.
 

United Nations , Melinda Taylor , Bob Carr , ICC

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