Muammar Gaddafi’s once-powerful son Seif al-Islam is now just a “helpless criminal” in the Libyan hilltown of Zintan where he can stay until he goes on trial, officials and town residents say.

He can be held here even for a year without a problem

“For Zintan he is just a helpless criminal. He is not a danger. We have no problem in keeping him here and we can hold him until his trial begins if it is better for Libya,” said Ibrahim Turki, the National Transitional Council’s health coordinator in Zintan.

“The Libyan authorities will decide his fate,” he said.

Residents of Zintan, a southern Libyan town now famous for its high-profile captive, said Mr Gaddafi was being moved regularly from one secret location to another to ensure his safety and protect him from the brutal end faced by his father.

On October 20, his father Col Gaddafi was lynched by his captors in Libya’s western city of Misrata. Leaked footage of the deposed leader’s final moments showed his bloodied, limp body being hauled onto the back of a pick-up truck as dozens of frenzied gunmen fired in air.

Col Gaddafi’s death triggered widespread global condemnation and forced Libya’s new rulers to launch an investigation into the circumstances of his killing.

Some Zintan residents said they initially believed Seif Gaddafi would also face a violent death, but are now confident he will likely live long enough to go on trial.

“We were initially worried that he may face the same fate as his father. But he is in safe custody and poses no danger to Zintan or to Libya,” said Shaban al-Waer, 48, a self-employed resident of the town. “He can be held here even for a year without any problem,” he said.

His location has remained a closely guarded secret, with residents saying there has been no sign of the captive since his initial arrest on November 19. NTC officials have only confirmed that Mr Gaddafi is still in Zintan.

Seif al-Islam’s fate remains a challenge to the new Libyan leadership as it tries to balance demands for revenge against Col Gaddafi’s most prominent son and heir apparent, and calls by the international community to give Seif a fair trial.

The International Criminal Court, which wants to try him on charges of crimes against humanity, too has called on the Libyan leadership to ensure Mr Gaddafi is unharmed, and treated in accordance with international laws and norms.

In a statement on Friday, the ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said the trial of Seif Gaddafi could be held in Libya under ICC auspices.