The independent fact-finding mission on Libya has monitored war crimes committed by all parties to the conflict in Libya since 2016, according to a report published on Monday.
The mission said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been committed in Libya, while violence in prisons and against migrants may amount to crimes against humanity.
The report accused governmental and non-governmental agencies of being behind the violations against illegal immigrants, which, according to the report, are taking place at a high level of organization and encouraged by the state, suggesting the commission of crimes against humanity.
The fact-finding mission also cited evidence indicating alarming patterns of violence perpetrated in Libyan prisons, where detainees are subjected to torture on a daily basis, and their families are prevented from visiting them.
The report indicated that Libya did not take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of internally displaced persons and their return to their places of origin, thus violating its obligations under international law.
It also documented the recruitment and direct participation of children in hostilities, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of prominent women figures, persistent sexual and other forms of violence against vulnerable groups, in addition to allegations of atrocious crimes committed in Tarhuna between 2016 and 2020.
The report reserved the names of those responsible for these violations, after it acknowledged the identification of individuals and groups of Libyans and foreign actors who may bear responsibility for violations, abuses and crimes committed in Libya, since 2016, stressing the confidentiality of this list until the need arises to publish it or share it with accountability mechanisms, according to the report.
It is worth noting that the Human Rights Council established a fact-finding mission in June 2020 pursuant to Resolution 43/39, with a one-year mandate to investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in Libya since 2016. The mission will present its report to the Security Council on 7 October.
