A Libyan court has sentenced Saif Islam Gaddafi, son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, to death for war crimes during  the 2011 unrest.

More than 30 former Libyan officials were accused of committing war crimes during the unrest that ended in the overthrow of the country's long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Saif was sentenced in absence, as he is held by the local armed militias in the Libyan city of Zintan refusing to comply with Tripoli's government. Currently there are two rival governments in Libya, the internationally-recognised Libyan government in Tobruk and the other in Tripoli.

On Monday, Tobruk's Justice Minister Mabrouk Ghraira urged international community not to recognise the final sentence, since 'the Tripoli trial of the Gaddafi-era officials is illegal and is carried out by militants.'

The former politicians were charged with ordering murders of protesters, torture and crimes against humanity.