The UN Human Rights Office and UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) called for culpable individuals of alleged human rights violations committed in Tarhuna, Libya between 2013 and 2022 to be held accountable in a Friday report. The report warned that the impunity culpable individuals enjoyed may compound instability and division in Libya.
According to the report, the armed Al-Kaniyat militia breached international humanitarian law and gross human rights between 2013 and 2022 by committing violations such as abductions, sexual violence, ill-treatment and killings. The report stated that repeated violations and renewed violence occurred in Tarhuna and its surrounding areas due to a lack of delivered justice. The UNSMIL called for special attention to be given to the alleged crimes committed in Tarhuna by writing:
In the context of successive armed conflicts in Libya since 2011 giving rise to repeated allegations of grave human rights violations and abuses, the crimes committed in Tarhuna warrant special attention given their widespread and systematic nature, the level of victimization and continuing impact on victims and their families in Tarhuna and throughout Libya and near absence of justice and accountability for such crimes.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged for the perpetrators of the alleged violations to be brought to justice and held accountable under fair trial standards and international due process. In addition, acting head of the UNSMIL and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs Stephanie Koury said, “Leaving the root causes and drivers of conflict unaddressed will only serve to keep fuelling toxic cycles of violence and revenge between communities[.]”
The report recommended Libyan authorities increase their special prosecution team’s capacity to effectively address crimes committed in Tarhuna, establish a victim and witness protection system and cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Libya’s situation by sharing information and facilitating visits.
Libya plunged into chaos with competing militias ruling different regions after a NATO-backed revolt in 2011. The most recent conflict ended in 2020.
In July, the UNSMIL released a report containing evidence of mass graves in Tarhuna. The report estimated there could be as many as 100 undiscovered mass graves in the city, and UNSMIL claimed that the Al-Kaniyat, which was in power in Tarhuna from 2016 to 2020, was responsible for the mass killings. The militia is alleged to have used brutal torture methods on residents including women, children, the infirm and the disabled.
In addition, the UN’s Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Libya, which documented atrocities during the Al-Kaniyat militia reign in Tarhuna, reported on June 29, 2022, that Libyan authorities committed crimes against humanity, war crimes and gross human rights violations under international law. The FFM’s chair Mohammad Aujjar said, “The mission calls for the international community to support the relevant Libyan authorities in conducting prompt investigations, compliant with international standards, into alleged violations and to prosecute those responsible.”
