“There is new momentum towards justice in Libya, and we now turn to the first trial to be held before the Court in this situation,” Nazhat Shameem Khan told the ambassadors.
She said the arrest of suspected war criminal Khaled El Hishri by German authorities in July is “a clear example of the momentum we are building.”
Mr. El Hishri is allegedly responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, committed in Libya’s notorious Mitiga prison from February 2015 until at least early 2020.
He is expected to be transferred to the ICC soon.
A clear message
“For too long, crimes committed in detention centers in western and eastern Libya have been a no-go zone for accountability,” Ms. Khan said.
Mr. El Hishri’s case sends “a clear message: those responsible for the suffering inflicted in Libya are mistaken if they believe they are still beyond the reach of justice.”
In addition, work continues towards the arrest and transfer of other fugitives, including Osama Elmasry Njeem and Saif Suleiman Sneidel, accused of committing war crimes.
Ms. Khan noted that “based on the progress we are currently seeing, I firmly believe there is an opportunity for us to demonstrate collective success based on the partnership between Libya, this Council and the ICC.”
This progress was made “despite the unprecedented headwinds facing the Court.”
She stressed that “coercive measures and acts of intimidation against the ICC, civil society and other justice partners serve no one other than those who wish to benefit from impunity in Libya and in all the situations we address.”
UN humanitarian office condemns latest attacks in Ukraine
The United Nations Aid Coordination Office (OCHA) reported large-scale attacks in the Ukrainian capital and several regions between Monday and Tuesday morning.
At least seven civilians were killed and 20 injured. Residential buildings, a nursery school and a playground were also damaged.
The attacks have further disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies, which already pose a challenge for Ukraine. Authorities reported that parts of Kharkiv remained without power and water.
More than 50,000 people in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions faced emergency outages. Across the country, more than 100,000 consumers remain without electricity following the latest wave of strikes.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that humanitarian partners continue to scale up their services to combat gender-based violence nationwide. By the end of October, nearly 360,000 women and girls had received support from 100 organizations.
Matthias Schmale, UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine sentenced the “continuing pattern of massive civilian damage” caused by the strikes and reiterated that civilians are protected by international humanitarian law.
At least 127 civilians killed in Lebanon since ceasefire agreement
Nearly a year after the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) continues to face increasing attacks from the Israeli army, spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan
Leave a Reply