Zintan, Libya — Saif al-Islam, a son of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, appeared in court on Thursday in the town of Zintan, where he had been held since his capture by former rebels in November 2011.

He is charged with illegally trying to communicate with the outside world in June last year.

Two lawyers, one named by the court, represented him as he faced the charge of “undermining state security” for meeting four envoys from the International Criminal Court (ICC) last June.

The ICC lawyer, Australian Melinda Taylor, was herself detained for three weeks after a meeting in which Saif al-Islam is accused of handing over sensitive papers and information.