'Abuse' video of Gaddafi's son in Tripoli jail prompts probe by Libyan authorities

London: An investigation is going on of a video that shockingly reveals Saadi Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, being abused along with the other prisoners in a Tripoli jail.

According to the BBC, a video which was made available on the online site, ClearNews, shows Saadi Gaddafi screaming as he is being beaten up by the guards on the soles of his feet. He is initially made to hear the screams of other prisoners after which his blindfold is removed and he is made to watch the beatings.

The DailyMail reported that at one point he is asaked if he would prefer being beaten in his butoocks or his feet, to which he is to have said, "What kind of a question is this? My feet."

US-based Human Rights Watch has demanded that authorities investigate the alleged abuse of the son of the former dictator and other inmates in the al-Hadba prison in Tripoli jail.

The video has come to light just weeks after Saadi's older brother Saif was given death sentence in Libya.

A Tripoli's public prosecutor said that an inquiry has been initiated to identify the guards who indulged in the abuse so that immediate legal action can be taken against them. Saadi Gaddafi has been held in a prison in Libya's capital Tripoli since last year, after being extradited from Niger on charges of shooting protesters and other crimes.

But Saadi's international criminal court defence lawyer has reportedly told Russia Today that "It does appear to be Saadi Gaddafi. It appears to be criminal treatment in the sense of it being severe physical treatment and also psychological in the sense that he is being forced to listen to other people apparently being tortured."

The video goes on to show the man's feet restrained in a device and being repeatedly hit.