Middle East protests: Country by country - Libya

Libya

After four decades in power, Col Muammar Gaddafi was ousted when rebels took the capital Tripoli in August. Col Gaddafi and his family went on the run. On 31 October the former leader was captured and killed on the outskirts of Sirte. Eight months of civil war - and Nato's operation - had come to an end.

Three weeks later, his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Libya's intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Sanussi, were captured trying to flee the country and now face trial in Libya.

The National Transitional Council (NTC) which led the revolt is now recognised by the UN as Libya's legitimate ruling body.

Libya's uprising began in mid-February when, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds came out onto the streets of several towns and cities demanding the end of Col Gaddafi's rule.

The authorities responded with violence, opening fire on protesters, as the rallies grew and spread across the country.

The revolt soon evolved into an armed conflict pitting forces loyal to Col Gaddafi - based in Tripoli in the west - against rebel forces based in the eastern port city of Benghazi.

In March, the UN Security Council passed a resolution which authorised "all necessary measures" - except troops on the ground - to protect civilians.

Coalition operations were largely confined to air attacks, initially aimed at imposing a no-fly zone and later widened to include government targets.

Following six months of fighting, rebel forces took Tripoli in late August, after gaining pockets of territory in the west.

Thousands of people poured out of their homes in celebration at the ousting of Col Gaddafi.

Several thousand people have been killed and many more have been injured in the conflict and Amnesty International has reported extensive human rights abuses by both sides.

The UN believes at least 335,000 people have fled Libya since the beginning of the conflict, including at least 200,000 foreign nationals.