Human Rights Watch report details US-led abuses of Gaddafi's enemies
- 12 years ago
"Delivered into Enemy Hands," a new Human Rights Watch report released on Thursday, documents an alleged U.S.-led secret operation to torture and return to Libya opponents of Muammar Gaddafi.
After the fall of Muamar Gaddafi last year, Human Rights Watch discovered - in the abandoned offices of former intelligence chief Musa Kusa - once-secret documents detailing abuse and renditions of the former Lybian leader's enemies.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAURA PITTER COUNTER-TERRORISM ADVISOR AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SAYING:
"They showed in black and white that the U.S. and the U.K. had assisted and actually took part in the renditions. They rendered a number of individuals that were opposed to Gaddafi back to Libya."
The information details how the U.S. picked up rebels in various countries including Pakistan and Mauritania.
The men were then sent to secret CIA camps in Afghanistan, where they were interrogated with waterboarding and other torture techniques.
From Afghanistan, Gaddafi's opponents were sent back to Libya amid renewed relations between Libya and the U.S. and U.K. following the September 11 attacks.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAURA PITTER COUNTER-TERRORISM ADVISOR AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SAYING:
"The treatment in Libya was very bad. They were subjected to more isolated incidents of abuse and beatings and some received electric shocks and summary trials, and solitary confinement, but it was ironically not as bad as what they received in U.S. custody."
The Human Rights Watch report details support of these actions by the U.K. as well as countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
After the fall of Muamar Gaddafi last year, Human Rights Watch discovered - in the abandoned offices of former intelligence chief Musa Kusa - once-secret documents detailing abuse and renditions of the former Lybian leader's enemies.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAURA PITTER COUNTER-TERRORISM ADVISOR AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SAYING:
"They showed in black and white that the U.S. and the U.K. had assisted and actually took part in the renditions. They rendered a number of individuals that were opposed to Gaddafi back to Libya."
The information details how the U.S. picked up rebels in various countries including Pakistan and Mauritania.
The men were then sent to secret CIA camps in Afghanistan, where they were interrogated with waterboarding and other torture techniques.
From Afghanistan, Gaddafi's opponents were sent back to Libya amid renewed relations between Libya and the U.S. and U.K. following the September 11 attacks.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LAURA PITTER COUNTER-TERRORISM ADVISOR AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SAYING:
"The treatment in Libya was very bad. They were subjected to more isolated incidents of abuse and beatings and some received electric shocks and summary trials, and solitary confinement, but it was ironically not as bad as what they received in U.S. custody."
The Human Rights Watch report details support of these actions by the U.K. as well as countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.