Tripoli, Sep 19 (IANS): Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, along with 37 other ex-government officials, will stand trial Thursday over crimes committed during the 2011 uprising.

The controversial trial will be held at the Criminal South Court in Tripoli, Xinhua reported Thursday citing a statement released by Libya's General Attorney Abdul Kader Jumaa Redwan.

The session will not be open to the public.

Al-Islam, Gaddafi's second-eldest son and the only son of the former president in custody in the country, will attend a preliminary hearing with 37 other Gaddafi-era officials Thursday.

The others include Abdallah Al-Senussi, a former spy chief, and Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, the last prime minister under Gaddafi's administration.

During the court session, a 4,000-page file will be examined by the court prosecutor, the general attorney said.

Al-Islam was captured by a militia group in the western mountain area of Zintan while on the run to neighbouring Niger.

Amnesty International has urged local authorities to "immediately hand over" Al-Islam to the International Criminal Court, where he is wanted for crimes against humanity.

As the international court judges questioned whether Libya could give him a fair trial, they also asked authorities to hand him over to The Hague.

However, Libya decided to go ahead with the trial in Tripoli, defying the international court.

Al-Islam is still being held by Zintan tribesmen and will be transferred to the court in Tripoli from Zintan.