Libya: ‘crimes against humanity’ —and European complicity

libya

The UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya released a report March 27 finding grounds to believe Libyan authorities and armed groups have been responsible for “a wide array” of war crimes and crimes against humanity in recent years. The report further charged that European Union states have been complicit in crimes against humanity by Libyan forces targeting migrants trying to reach Europe. Legally barred from deporting migrants to Libya, EU governments instead give funding and technical aid to the Libyan Coast Guard, which has been accused of widespread “arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement and enforced disappearance” against migrants since 2016. (UN News, TNH)

A separate report meanwhile documents direct illegal abuses against migrants by the security forces of European states. The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture & Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on March 30 published a report detailing “unlawful pushback practices and ill-treatment of foreign nationals” throughout 2022. These findings come after various monitoring visits to the land and sea borders of the Council of Europe member states. (Jurist)

Map: Perry-Castañeda Library

  1. ICC issues warrants for Libya war crimes

    International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan told the UN Security Council on May 11 that the court has issued four arrest warrants for alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity committed in Libya since 2011, and has applied for two more. The warrants are currently under seal, so neither the identities of the accused nor the details of the alleged crimes have been made public. (TNH)