THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The International Criminal Court is asking Libyan authorities to explain widespread reports that they plan to put one of Moammar Gadhafi's sons and the slain dictator's former spy chief on trial next month.

The request is the latest move in a long-running legal saga over where Seif al-Islam Gadhafi and Abdullah al-Senoussi will stand trial - at the world's first permanent international war crimes tribunal in The Hague or in their home country.

Both men have been indicted by the ICC on crimes against humanity charges for allegedly targeting civilians in brutal attempts to put down the 2011 rebellion that toppled Moammar Gadhafi's four-decade dictatorship.

But both Seif al-Islam Gadhafi and Al-Senoussi remain in custody in Libya. A pretrial chamber decided Thursday to ask the Libyans to explain their plans.