Date: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
* U.N. human rights office presents report on Libya
* Says armed groups continue to execute, torture civilians
* Migrants said to be bought and sold on “open slave markets”
* Human Rights Watch calls on Geneva forum to appoint expert
By Stephanie Nebehay
March 21, 2018 / 1:21 PM
GENEVA, March 21 (Reuters) - Armed groups execute and torture civilians in Libya in almost complete impunity seven years after the revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, the United Nations human rights office said on Wednesday.
Libyans and migrants are often held incommunicado in arbitrary detention in appalling conditions, and reports persist of captured migrants being bought and sold on “open slave markets”, it said in a report to the Human Rights Council.
Libya is split between rival governments in the east and west while ports and beaches are largely in the hands of armed groups who smuggle mainly African migrants onto boats heading for Italy and Europe.
“Extrajudicial and unlawful killings are rampant,” Andrew Gilmour, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, told the Geneva forum.
A video emerged on Jan 24 purportedly showing a special forces field commander Mahmoud al-Werfalli shooting 10 blindfolded men kneeling with their hands tied behind their back, he said. Reuters could not independently confirm the gunman’s identity.
Werfalli, a special forces commander attached to Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly overseeing the summary execution of several dozen prisoners.
“In what has become an increasing pattern in and around Benghazi over the last two years, more bodies with signs of torture and hands bound were found in the streets,” Gilmour said.
Armed groups are “the main perpetrators of grave human rights violations and act with almost complete impunity”, he said.
Detention centres run by armed groups, “including those with links to ministries” have the worst record, he said.
Adel Shaltut, charge d’affaires at Libya’s mission to the U.N. in Geneva, said: “Libya is a victim of illegal migration, it is only a transit country and cannot shoulder all responsibilities. Our coast guards and border guards do not have capacity to face organised crime and terrorism.”
The European Union said that migrants and activists were subjected to “unlawful detentions, abductions, torture, forced labour and sexual and gender-based violence”.
“We are deeply also concerned about reports of migrants and refugees allegedly being sold as slaves and call on the Libyan authorities to investigate and hold persons responsible for those acts accountable,” said EU diplomat Carl Hallergard.
Hanan Salah, Libya researcher for Human Rights Watch, denounced “raging impunity”, adding: “A political settlement and any semblance of rule of law seem elusive.”
She urged the Council to appoint an independent expert on the country, adding: “Given the gravity of the situation on the ground in Libya, how can this Council justify the lack of a dedicated monitoring and reporting mechanism?”. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay Ecditing by Richard Balmforth)
TRIPOLI, March 21 (Reuters) - Libya should resist rushing into elections this year because the country is too violent and authorities cannot guarantee freedom of assembly or free speech, which are essential for a vote, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
Potential contenders on both sides of Libya’s main political divide have called for a vote to resolve an impasse in which the government in the capital has limited authority and largely depends on armed groups for security.
The United Nations helped set up the government in 2016 and says it would like to see elections this year if security and legislative conditions are met.
A voter registration process began in December but no election dates have been set and it is unclear how local, parliamentary and presidential polls would be sequenced.
The last parliamentary elections in 2014 led to rival governments being set up in Tripoli and the east, backed by competing, loose armed alliances.
In the past week, there have been deadly clashes between rival armed factions in the cities of Sabha in the south and Derna in the east. In Tripoli several prominent figures have been kidnapped, including the military prosecutor.
“Libya today couldn’t be further away from respect for the rule of law and human rights, let alone from acceptable conditions for free elections,” said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East and North Africa director for the rights group.
“The authorities need to be able to guarantee freedom of assembly, association and speech to anyone participating in the elections,” he said in a statement.
One precondition for elections was a judiciary that could resolve disputes, but the justice system was in a state of collapse, HRW said.
“Armed groups have threatened, intimidated, and attacked judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and government officials. Law enforcement and criminal investigation departments around the country are only partially functional, often lacking the ability to execute court-issued summons and arrest warrants.
“Libya’s courts are in no position to resolve election disputes including on registration and results.”
The statement came as the U.N. human rights office said armed groups continued to execute and torture civilians in Libya with almost complete impunity.
The United Nations has pointed to the voter registration process as evidence of Libyans’ enthusiasm for elections. Since December, more than 923,000 voters have registered, according to the electoral commission, and more than 2.4 million are now registered nationwide.
However, analysts say this does not necessarily indicate high turnout, given security challenges and a voting population estimated at between 4.2 and 4.5 million. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
