No Result
View All Result
Sunday, July 6, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Human Rights Watch criticises ICC for lack of new Libyan war crimes cases

byMichel Cousins
January 15, 2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A

By Jamie Prentis.

HRW logo

Tunis, 14 January 2017:

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been sharply criticised by Human Rights Watch (HRW) for not launching new investigations into war crimes in Libya.

In its 2017 world report, which makes for grim reading, HRW accuses militias affiliated to the competing Libyan governments of engaging in a variety of human rights abuses with impunity.

RELATED POSTS

Libyan militias intensified suppression of dissent, attacks on civil society. Thousands arbitrarily detained, arrested for exercise of human rights: Amnesty International report

Eastern Libya authorities must lift restrictions on journalists: Amnesty International

The ICC should be investigating them, HRW says, and has a mandate to do so.

“Abuses by armed groups in Libya have gone unchecked for the past five years as warlords grow stronger, while conditions for ordinary civilians deteriorate,” said Eric Goldstein, HRW’s deputy Middle East director.

It has been five years since the ICC issued indictments against Libyan individuals: Muammar Qaddafi, Seif Al-Islam Qaddafi and Abdullah Senussi.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in fact told the UN Security Council last November she intended to open fresh investigations in 2017, as new evidence was gathered.

She had previously blamed the limited progress on a lack of resources and the continued instability in Libya, whilst calling for collaboration between local and international powers to bring criminals to justice.

Whilst gathering concrete evidence can be difficult, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) publishes a monthly report detailing civilian causalities during the course of hostilities.

HRW argued that the militias, benefiting from a lack of state authority, “continued to flout international law with impunity.” It said their actions included unlawful killings, abductions and indiscriminate shelling. HRW also claimed that armed forces and prison authorities continued to arbitrarily detain and torture thousands of people long-term, including women and children.

It was also highly critical of the domestic criminal system, suggesting it did not function in parts of the country and lacked the ability, along with the ICC, to make people accountable.

The HRW statement appears to it have been drafted some time ago as it states that the so-called Islamic State was still in control of part of Sirte.

The report also looked at the continued fighting between Islamists militants and Libyan National Army (LNA) forces allied to General Khalifa Hafter in Benghazi. HRW said several hundred civilians in the Ganfouda neighbourhood remained trapped under aerial bombardment, with limited access to food and medical care.

Attention was given to UNSMIL investigations that suggested 141 civilians were killed by shelling from March until August in Benghazi, Derna and Sirte. This included 30 child deaths and another 146 people injured.

In the past, HRW has been outspoken in condemning the ICC for failing to get its act together amidst a flurry of alleged war crimes.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has issued a statement condemning the continued detainment and alleged torture of activist Jabir Zain by a Tripoli-based militia. They say the militia, apparently operating under the Ministry of Interior, has held Zain since his abduction on 25 September 2016 at a café in Tripoli’s suburb of Gargaresh.

Zain, from Sudan, has previously campaigned for women’s rights and the militia accuse him of atheism, moral indecency and collaborating with foreign NGOs, among other charges. His family say they have met with the militia at their base in the Fornaj district of Tripoli, but have been denied access to Zain. They were then given conflicting statements – that he would be deported to Sudan after further investigations and, conversely, that he was not being held. It was just someone with a similar name.

According to Amnesty, the family believe this to be false.

Tags: Amnesty InternationalfeaturedHRW Human Rights WatchLibya

Related Posts

Libya Herald exclusive: Responding to the prime minister’s call yesterday to the private sector and banks to do more, leading businessman Husni Bey responds
Business

Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

July 2, 2025
Libyan Russian Economic Forum starts in St. Petersburg
Libya

Libyan Russian Economic Forum starts in St. Petersburg

June 27, 2025
MoI establishes Elections Security and Protection Department
Libya

Aldabaiba and Menfi stress use of polling feedback to establish consensus basis for constitutional process: report and analysis

June 26, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

“There is no state built by gangs and criminality, it’s built by engineers, youth, consultants, security, police and army”: Aldabaiba

June 23, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

187 new security posts taken over from militias – PM declares victory for the state as all vital Tripoli sites come under its exclusive control for the first time since 2011

June 19, 2025
Interior Ministry’s Diplomatic Missions Protection personnel receiving training in Ukraine
Libya

The Interior Ministry had spent LD 50 billion in 13 years with no result: Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi

June 17, 2025
Next Post
Beida government accuses Italy of violating Libyan sovereignty

Beida government accuses Italy of violating Libyan sovereignty

Two soldiers and one militant leader die in fresh Ganfouda battle

Two soldiers and one militant leader die in fresh Ganfouda battle

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • CBL goes public at last about the counterfeit LD 50 notes – notes to be withdrawn until end of August

    CBL reveals discovery of LD 3.5 billion in counterfeit 50-dinar notes printed in Russia – PM calls on Attorney General to open investigation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • CBL demands imports are conducted through official banking instruments and the elimination of the FX black market

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • All imports into Libya must be paid for through official bank transactions

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Three Libyan companies win awards in Athens International Olive Oil Competition ‎

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

A 247,000-bpd oil production increase would achieve US$ 6 billion annually to enhance ability to meet FX demand, maintain strength of LD and achieve economic balance: CBL ‎

Op-Ed: Reputational Damage Is Worse Than Losing Money

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.