Britain's Metropolitan police will travel to Libya again this week as part of investigations into the murder of police officer Yvonne Fletcher, who was shot dead outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday. Fletcher, who was 25, was hit by a shot fired from the embassy during a demonstration against Muammar Gaddafi. After an 11-day siege, 30 Libyans in the embassy were deported and no one was charged with her killing. Hopes of finding the killer were raised following the uprising which toppled Gaddafi last year.
"I can see very clearly that this is being pursued with energy in both the UK and Libya ... The next steps are very much to continue with the work going on over recent weeks," Hague told reporters in Tripoli.
A British police team travelled to Libya in June to probe the murder and were "very pleased with their cooperation from the prosecutor general who undertook to appoint a prosecutor and an investigative team," Hague said. That came after earlier plans to send a team were frustrated by a failure to secure approval from local authorities. Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib travelled to Britain in May and left a wreath at a memorial commemorating Fletcher's death.
Asked where a potential trial could take place if suspects were brought to court, Hague said: "First of all the investigation has to come to a conclusion and it's very important that is pursued with vigour and the meetings taking place this week are a very important part of that. "Decisions on how to proceed after that are for the next stage.” (Reuters)