Amnesty: abuse by both sides in Libya
- 13 years ago
Human rights group Amnesty International has compiled a 112-page report detailing war crimes by both sides of the Libyan war.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"This report covers roughly the last six months, basically the battle for Libya, and we looked at the abuses from the side of the Gaddafi forces, any war crimes, possible crimes against humanity, but also there have been abuses by the fighters who oppose Muammar Gaddafi."
The report says the attacks by Gaddafi forces on civilian protesters constituted a crime against humanity, while arbitrary detentions, torture of prisoners, and widespread abductions were war crimes.
The report also says anti-Gaddafi forces are guilty of human rights abuses, having abducted, arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed Gaddafi loyalists and foreign nationals wrongly suspected of being mercenaries.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"It's very difficult to say who are the people who have been detained, some of them must have been fighters on the side of Gaddafi, but many of them its seems are migrant workers that are automatically assumed to be mercenaries especially if they come from countries in sub-Saharan Africa, there are also black Libyans who are automatically assumed to be traitors unless proven otherwise, and then maybe some private settling of scores going on."
At least 1,000 people are believed to be in detention in the Tripoli area alone, and Amnesty says Libya's ruling interim council must establish the country's justice system rather than leave it in the hands of localised militia.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"At the moment the only people in control of the detention centres are the fighters of the various brigades. The Transitional National Council hasn't yet established control of the detention centres which is what we hope they will be able to do as soon as possible."
With NTC forces having taken much of Libya, the country's new leadership is under pressure to get the security situation under control and prevent further abuses from taking place.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"This report covers roughly the last six months, basically the battle for Libya, and we looked at the abuses from the side of the Gaddafi forces, any war crimes, possible crimes against humanity, but also there have been abuses by the fighters who oppose Muammar Gaddafi."
The report says the attacks by Gaddafi forces on civilian protesters constituted a crime against humanity, while arbitrary detentions, torture of prisoners, and widespread abductions were war crimes.
The report also says anti-Gaddafi forces are guilty of human rights abuses, having abducted, arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed Gaddafi loyalists and foreign nationals wrongly suspected of being mercenaries.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"It's very difficult to say who are the people who have been detained, some of them must have been fighters on the side of Gaddafi, but many of them its seems are migrant workers that are automatically assumed to be mercenaries especially if they come from countries in sub-Saharan Africa, there are also black Libyans who are automatically assumed to be traitors unless proven otherwise, and then maybe some private settling of scores going on."
At least 1,000 people are believed to be in detention in the Tripoli area alone, and Amnesty says Libya's ruling interim council must establish the country's justice system rather than leave it in the hands of localised militia.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH AND REGIONAL PROGRAMMES, CLAUDIO CORDONE:
"At the moment the only people in control of the detention centres are the fighters of the various brigades. The Transitional National Council hasn't yet established control of the detention centres which is what we hope they will be able to do as soon as possible."
With NTC forces having taken much of Libya, the country's new leadership is under pressure to get the security situation under control and prevent further abuses from taking place.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.