The Independent Fact-Finding Mission to Investigate Human Rights Violations in Libya, chaired by Moroccan Mohamed Aujjar, presented its final report and recommendations to the Human Rights Council on Monday. Male (HRC).
The President of the Mission, accompanied by human rights experts Cheloka Beyani and Tracy Robinson, presented the findings of the report to the Council during talks held in Geneva, on the sidelines of the work of the 52nd session of the HRC.
The representatives of States and non-governmental organizations welcomed the investigative effort of the report, while expressing their aspiration to implement its recommendations, with a view to putting an end to serious violations of human rights and ensuring accountability and reparation for victims.
The Mission had conducted, since its creation, more than 400 interviews, mainly with witnesses and victims, and collected more than 2,800 separate pieces of information. The Mission undertook 13 missions, including three during the last mandate extension period.
The Mission has found reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed against Libyans and migrants since 2016, Aujjar said, lamenting that such crimes continue today.
Numerous cases of arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement, sexual slavery and enforced disappearance have been documented, he said, adding that violations continue in Libya and that the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms has deteriorated.
In this sense, the Mission called on the HRC to set up an independent international investigation mechanism, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a separate and autonomous mechanism with a permanent mandate to monitor and report on gross human rights violations in Libya, with a view to supporting Libya’s reconciliation efforts and assisting the Libyan authorities in establishing transitional justice.
Furthermore, the Mission expressed its concern about the laws and decisions that limit the action of civil society and public freedoms, in particular in cyberspace which is subject to strict censorship.
The Mission presented a series of recommendations to the Libyan authorities, in particular the bringing to justice of those responsible for human rights violations, the withdrawal of illegal weapons, the establishment of unified armed and security forces in accordance with the international organizations, the closure of secret prisons and full cooperation with the UN human rights system and the International Criminal Court, to ensure accountability and end impunity.
The representative of Libya, for her part, assured that her country has taken cognizance of the report and its recommendations and that it has created a commission with a view to establishing the framework conducive to their implementation.
Strengthening respect for human rights is a national choice and the achievement of justice requires lasting stability, she said, assuring that armed violations are to be blamed on the exceptional conditions in the country. .