A Federal U.S court has ruled against eastern Libya military commander Khalifa Hafter on Friday in a multiple war crimes case brought against him by several Libyan plaintiffs.
He had been accused of in civil cases filed in 2019 and 2020, including of authorising indiscriminate bombings of civilians during his 2019 war on Tripoli
The Virginia judge entered a ‘‘default’’ judgment against Hafter after the defendant had repeatedly failed to show up for depositions in the lawsuit.
Hafter had attempted to claim immunity due to his political role in Libya. Last year the court paused the case as Hafter was running for president.
However, once Libya’s elections were postponed, the case was restarted and Hafter’s plea for immunity was rejected.
