ICC urges Libyan factions not to target civilians

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court urged Libya’s warring factions on Tuesday to refrain from targeting civilians or committing any crimes that may fall under the jurisdiction of the court, Anadolu agency has reported. Fatou Bensouda made her comments at the UN Security Council session in New York.

The ICC official expressed concern about the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Libya: “Innocent civilians continue to bear the brunt of the deteriorating security situation,” said Bensouda as she called on the international community to be more proactive in exploring solutions to help the North African nation to restore stability and strengthen accountability.

“The indiscriminate attacks by groups such as the Dawn of Libya militia group and Operation Dignity forces in densely populated areas resulted in civilian casualties, especially in Benghazi, east and the capital Tripoli,” she added. The ICC official stressed that her office “will not hesitate to take any action to investigate such crimes and put an end to impunity in Libya.” As an example of this, she pointed out that Libya continues to refuse to comply with the ICC orders with respect to the extradition of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi.

“On 10 December, 2014 the Pre-Trial Chamber I issued a decision finding that Libya has failed to comply with the Chamber’s requests to surrender Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to the Court, to return to his Defence the originals of the documents seized in Zintan by the Libyan authorities from the former Defence counsel for Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, and to destroy any copies thereof,” explained Bensouda.

A battalion belonging to the city of Zintan, west of the capital Tripoli, arrested the son of the ousted dictator in the Libyan desert in November, 2011 and held him in Zintan prison. He appeared in court on 2 May, 2013 on charges of “acting against national security and participating to thwart the 17 February 2011 Revolution”.

Libya’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Dabbashi, said that his government rejects the International Criminal Court order to hand Gaddafi over. In his testimony before the members of the Security Council he insisted that the ICC’s role is to assist the national judiciary in Libya and the international judiciary.

“Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi’s trial generates a sense of justice for the public in Libya and constitutes a cornerstone of national reconciliation as well as security and stability,” the ambassador asserted. “As such, the Libyan authorities renew their hope that the International Criminal Court recognises the Libyan judiciary mandate to try Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi as it recognised its mandate to try Abdullah Al-Senussi.”