TRIPOLI, Libya  – An arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, is still valid, an ICC spokesman said on Sunday.

“The ICC arrest warrant remains in force and has not changed,” Fadi al-Abdullah told Anadolu Agency.

“The ICC does not comment on political issues,” he added.

Earlier Sunday, Saif al-Islam submitted his application to run in Libya’s upcoming presidential election.

In 2011, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Saif al-Islam on charges of committing crimes against humanity in Libya.

Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on Dec. 24 under an UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in Tunisia on Nov. 15, 2020.

The oil-rich country’s electoral commission on Nov. 8 opened registration for candidates in the polls despite ongoing tensions between the parliament, the High Council of State, and the unity government regarding electoral powers and laws.

Libyans hope that the upcoming elections will contribute to ending an armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country for years.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara