The battle for Libya : killings, disappearances and torture

Description

In mid-February 2011 Libyans called for a 'Day of Rage' against the iron-fist rule of Colonel Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi, in power since 1969. The protests were met with lethal force. By early March the uprising had evolved into an armed conflict between forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi and armed protesters coalesced into a loosely structured force led by the newly established National Transitional Council. This report, based on a three-month fact-finding visit to eastern Libya and the besieged city of Misratah [Misrata] from late February, documents serious and widespread human rights violations by al-Gaddafi forces. It presents strong evidence of war crimes, including deliberate and indiscriminate rocket, mortar and artillery attacks that killed and injured hundreds of residents not involved in the conflict; and the use of internationally banned weapons such as cluster bombs and anti-personnel mines in residential areas. The report also documents abuses by the opposition, including unlawful killings and torture of captured soldiers, suspected mercenaries and former members of the Libyan security forces. The report calls for accountability for all crimes committed during the unrest and urges all parties to the conflict and the international community to cooperate with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and other international investigations. �Read more...