The son of Libya’s former leader Moammar Gaddafi has been forced to miss a court hearing in Tripoli after the militia holding him refused to send him to the capital.

Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent figure of his father’s government, appeared for a separate hearing in the western town of Zintan. A judge adjourned his trial until December 12th over lack of evidence.

Authorities have asked for "justification" as to why Gaddafi was not transferred from Zintan as planned. The Tripoli trial involves 38 former government officials, including notorious spy chief Abdallah Senoussi and former Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.

Thursday’s hearing was to present the prosecutors’ case to the judge who will then set the official charges. The charges are expected to revolve around the killings during the eight-month civil war in 2011.