The half-hour address, in which Jaleel never mentioned Qaddafi’s name, was punctuated by celebratory gunfire. But elsewhere in Tripoli the gunfire is just as often a cry of anger and revenge against the man who ruled Libya with an iron fist for more than four decades.

Not far away from Martyrs Square, Abdul loaded his anti-aircraft gun and shot out two rounds after learning — as it turns out, incorrectly — that one of Qaddafi’s sons was captured. No matter what those in control of the country say, Abdul Rahman declared, Qaddafi must be hanged.

“I come from Misrata. Qaddafi destroyed my town. He killed two of my cousins. I have no place of forgiveness for him or his family,” said the 21-year-old fighter, while chanting “Allahu Akbar,” a common phrase chanted by rebels to greet each other. “Qaddafi and (his son) Saif must be hanged in this very square, in front of all Libyans,” he said.

The whereabouts of Libya’s long-time dictator remain unknown and his remaining loyalists are still battling TNC forces from strongholds in Sirte and Bani Walid. But Qaddafi will have trouble avoiding the law if he survives. Abroad, both he and his son Seif Al-Islam are wanted by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. At home, many Libyans say his rule has left too many bitter memories to put the past behind them.

Among the Middle Eastern despots that have been ousted in the Arab Spring, none have been forgiven or left to quietly retire. Egypt’s long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are now being tried in Cairo. Tunisia’s Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali escaped, but in June he and his wife were sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison.

Amnesty International, the London-based human rights organization, said in a report this week that revenge attacks against suspected loyalists of the Qaddafi regime and opportunistic “settling of scores” are continuing even as the NTC controls most of the country.

“The new authorities must make a complete break with the abuses of the past four decades and set new standards by putting human rights at the center of its agenda,” Amnesty’s senior director Claudio Cordone said in a statement. “The onus now is on the NTC to do things differently, end abuses and initiate the human rights reforms that are urgently needed.”

The soft-spoken Jaleel called for forgiveness and urged Libyans to become united in their freedom and bury hatred and vengeance desire. Jaleel himself served as a minister of justice in the Qaddafi regime before defecting to the rebel side.

The streets of Tripoli are sending a different message. A young girl of about 10 years sings repeatedly anti-Al-Qaddafi song that has become a kind of anthem since rebels stormed the Bab Al-Azizya compound that the regime regarded as its headquarters three weeks ago and ousted the last Qaddafi supporters from the city.

In the dirty streets, walls and shop fronts are adorned by pictures of Qaddafi on the run and effigies of the former leader hanging from a rope.

Khalid Musrati is a rebel fighter standing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Tripoli, colored bandanna ringed around his rugged face. He said he is personally on the hunt for Qaddafi. Musrati says he went to visit the homes of the Qaddafi family and see first hand the extravagance and corruption of the regime

“I had the chance to get very rich during the revolution, but I’m not interested in money or anything but to arrest Qaddafi and put him on trial in front of all the Libyans,” he told The Media Line. “Qaddafi ruled us for 42 years and he took our money and tarnished our reputation. We want a new Libya that stands as an example for rest of the Arabs.”

There are other voices. Suha, a 23-year-old medical student who only asked to be identified by her first name, was in the street looking for a curbside vendor from whom to buy the flag of the new Libya. After years of repression, she said she was thrilled at the chance to express her true feelings — and for her, that is enough.

“Qaddafi is the past. We’ve already forgotten him. He no longer makes any difference in our lives,” she said as she held her new flag. “We want to move forward. All Libyans must move forward otherwise we will become like people of Qaddafi, full of anger and hatred.”