ICC prosecutor visits Libya to boost accountability for war criminals

The International Criminal Court prosecutor met with the UN envoy in Libya yesterday, Anadolu has reported. The visit is intended to boost accountability for war criminals and justice for their victims.

The ICC said on Twitter that Karim Khan met with Abdallah Batili on the second day of his official visit to Tripoli. “This is the first visit of a prosecutor of the ICC to Libya in 10 years,” it explained. “The focus will be on building partnerships with victims, national authorities and affected communities to enhance accountability for crimes under the Rome Statute [under which the ICC was established in 1998].”

Khan arrived in Libya on Saturday, when he met with the Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi. During their meeting, the ICC official expressed his thanks to Menfi and the Libyan authorities for the support they provided to facilitate his visit.

“The situation in Libya is a priority for this office because the country has experienced many wars during which widespread violations of human rights and war crimes occurred,” Khan told the UN Security Council in April.

The ICC has called on the Libyan authorities to hand over several wanted persons in Libya, especially Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the former ruler of Libya who was toppled and killed in a popular revolution in 2011.

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