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The son of Libya's former dictator is still in hiding, but it's only a matter of time before Saif al-Islam Gadhafi is arrested and faces justice at the International Criminal Court. That's according to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC's prosecutor.

I had the privilege of sitting down Monday afternoon with Moreno-Ocampo – Argentine lawyer and chief prosecutor at the Hague for the past 8.5 years.

Saif al-Islam was indicted by the ICC in June for a murderous campaign aimed at quashing the uprising against his father's regime.

"He could get 30 years" if convicted, Moreno-Ocampo said.

The court also described Saif al-Islam as the de facto prime minister during the uprising's early stages.

While his father died at the hands of rebels, Saif al-Islam is believed to have escaped the country and his whereabouts are not known – although Moreno-Ocampo suggested he has "some idea" of where he might be.

"We explained to him the legal system: he [would] come to court, he could be convicted or acquitted," said Moreno-Ocampo.

"His main fear is going back to Libya."

Moreno-Ocampo told me his only contact with Saif al-Islam has been through an intermediary -- and his last communication with that intermediary was about 20 days ago.

He wanted to make clear he knows of no state that is actively protecting Saif al-Islam. He also told me he and his team are making progress in an investigation into allegations of widespread rape by Gadhafi supporters.

"We are convinced there were hundreds of rapes," he said. "We had various sources, showing hospital records, showing hundreds of women complaining [of being raped]."

The ICC is the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal. And the UN Security Council authorized the court to investigate events in Libya in February.

Moreno-Ocampo is in Toronto for a screening of a new documentary film titled, appropriately, "The Prosecutor." The doc deals with his efforts to bring those accused of war crimes and genocide to justice.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo in an interview with Lisa LaFlamme on Nov. 14, 2011 (Phil Hahn / CTV)

When I went over a list of dictators who've ruled with iron fists for generations but have recently been toppled -- including Libya's Moammar Gadhafi ... Tunisia's Zine el Abidine Ben Ali ... Egypt's Hosni Mubarak -- Moreno-Ocampo said he couldn't have imagined a year like this one.

"It's amazing," he said. "Things have moved so fast. ... That's why I'm so grateful for this job they appointed me."

After his documentary screening, Moreno-Ocampo generously went over the allotted half-hour he had scheduled with me at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law building, where he also offered his reflections on his tenure at the ICC (there will be a vote held in December for his replacement -- but he will still be on the job in a transitional role until June).

He told me it's remarkable to see how a "tiny court in The Hague" is doing its part to help the world control the violence and conflict that is an unfortunate daily part of so many people's lives.

I asked him a few times what he thought his most important accomplishment was as chief prosecutor. His response, each time, was a humble:

"I am a public servant."

"I did not create this job, they appointed me this job, and I do it with honour."

In fact, he even turned down a job at Harvard in order to do it.

I should note: prominent Canadian lawyer and specialist on war crimes Robert Petit is in the running to replace Moreno-Ocampo. Although Moreno-Ocampo made clear to me, with a smile, that he had "no say" or sway in who will replace him.

He's a tough but fascinating interview.

You can watch the extended online video posted above -- cut for CTVNews.ca by my producer and domestic assignment editor Michelle Doblanko and Stephane Brisson, CTV News cameraman and editor extraordinaire.

Finally, it's no secret that Moreno-Ocampo has come under criticism that – in almost 9 years – no ICC case has yet been completed and resulted in a conviction.

I asked him about that. He responded with confidence: "Wait two or three weeks."

We'll be watching.

See you tonight,

Lisa

Photo by Phil Hahn / CTV