( CNN ) -- Libya said Saturday it will seek extradition of its former spy chief who was arrested in Mauritania and is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court . Mauritanian security authorities arrested Abdullah al-Senussi , Libya 's former chief of intelligence and one of the Gadhafi regime 's most wanted men . Al-Senussi , the late Moammar Gadhafi 's brother-in-law , was arrested Friday evening at Nouakchott airport , a Libyan transitional government spokesman said . He was carrying a fake passport from Mali at the time of his arrest . France is also in the process of requesting al-Senussi 's extradition from Mauritania , President Nicolas Sarkozy 's office said . Al-Senussi is the subject of an international arrest warrant following his sentencing in absentia to life imprisonment for the September 19 , 1989 , terror attack on UTA flight 772 , killing 170 people , including 54 French nationals , when the French airliner exploded over Niger . His arrest Friday was the result of joint efforts by the French and Mauritanian authorities , Sarkozy 's office said . The Libyan authorities were kept informed , the statement added . House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that if `` Senussi is indeed apprehended , of course that would be good news all around . '' `` We have a particular interest because of his role in the Lockerbie bombing situation , but it 's really good news for the people of Libya . '' In 1988 , Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie , Scotland , killing all 259 passengers and crew aboard in an attack that was later linked to Libya . Pelosi , who is leading a congressional delegation that traveled to Libya on Saturday , said al-Senussi 's detainment could bring some form of `` closure , '' which she described as `` very important . '' Interpol had issued a Red Notice for al-Senussi 's arrest for alleged crimes against humanity . He is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands to stand trial on those charges . Al-Senussi was detained at the airport along with a younger man believed to be his son , said Libyan interim government spokesman Nasser al-Manee . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Alex Felton contributed to this report .
NEW : Mauritania Rep. Nancy Pelosi is in Libya to lead a congressional delegation . Al-Senussi was arrested at an airport in U.S. on 1988 , Libyan authorities said . He was the intelligence chief for Mauritania 's Jomana Karadsheh . He is wanted by the International Criminal Court .