Human rights violations during the Libyan civil war (2011): Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
m Reverted edits by Poshbirdgabi (talk) unexplained removal of content (HG) |
Poshbirdgabi (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{cleanup|date=April 2011}} |
|||
{{unbalanced|date=May 2011}} |
|||
{{POV|date=June 2011}} |
|||
{{Incomplete|date=June 2011}} |
|||
The outbreak of [[civil war in Libya]] has been followed by accusations of [[human rights]] violations by the rebel forces opposed to Gaddafi, the Armed Forces and NATO. The alleged violations include [[rape]], [[extrajudicial killing]]s, [[racism]], [[misconduct]] and bombings of civilians. |
|||
==Anti-Gaddafi forces== |
|||
{{Undue|date=May 2011}} |
|||
===Crimes against international humanitarian law=== |
|||
====Execution of prisoners of war==== |
|||
A group of 15 to 22 Libyan army soldiers captured in [[Darnah, Libya|Darnah]] were reportedly executed in the village of Makhtuba, 20 kilometres east of Darna.<ref name="Globe and Mail">{{cite news|author=Graeme Smith |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/a-rebellion-divided-spectre-of-revenge-killings-hangs-over-eastern-libya/article1967949/ |title=A rebellion divided: spectre of revenge killings hangs over eastern Libya |publisher=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=April 01, 2011 |accessdate=2011-04-22 |location=Toronto}}<!-- Page 2 --></ref> According to a widely circulated story, the men were claimed to have been "executed by their own officers for disobeying orders".<ref name="Globe and Mail" /> |
|||
Another group of 15 dark skinned Libyan prisoners was publicly executed by hanging in front of the [[Al Bayda, Libya|al-Baida]] courthouse.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Among Libya's Prisoners: Interviews with Mercenaries |author=Abigail Hauslohner |date=February 23, 2011 |journal=[[TIME]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2053490,00.html}}</ref> |
|||
====Murder of injured soldiers==== |
|||
On February 17, [[Al Bayda, Libya|Al Bayda]] hospital admitted two injured men, one of black complexion, and the other of olive complexion. The men were accused of fighting against the rebels. A doctor of the hospital claims that the black man was murdered and hung by an angry mob that had gathered around the hospital. The other injured man was reportedly beaten, shot and returned to the emergency room.<ref name="Globe and Mail" /><!-- Page 2 --> |
|||
===Allegations of usage of African mercenaries=== |
|||
During the [[2011 Libyan uprising]], some journalists have accused Human Rights organizations of falsifying <ref>{{Cite web |title=HRW: No mercenaries in eastern Libya |publisher=RNW |date=2 March 2011 |url=http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/hrw-no-mercenaries-eastern-libya-0 }}</ref> claims, that Muammar Gaddafi was using mercenaries from other parts of Africa to attack protesters,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/africa/24libya.html | work=The New York Times | first1=Kareem | last1=Fahim | first2=David D. | last2=Kirkpatrick | title=In Libya's Capital, Qaddafi Masses Forces | date=2011-02-23}}</ref> however the presence of mercenaries from countries such as Chad, Niger, and Mali has been confirmed by Col Gaddafi's former Chief of Protocol Nouri Al Misrahi.<ref>http://allafrica.com/stories/201102250009.html</ref> |
|||
====Rape of black Africans==== |
|||
[[Sudanese]] refugees from Eastern Libya have reported that a 12 year old Sudanese girl was [[rape]]d by armed men that forced them out of their homes.<ref name="speroforum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.speroforum.com/a/49907/Libya-UN-alarmed-at-reports-of-violence-against-subSaharan-migrants |title=Libya: UN alarmed at reports of violence against sub-Saharan migrants | Spero News |publisher=Speroforum.com |date=2011-03-08 |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> A [[Gambia]]n man shown to journalists by Anti-Gadaffi forces reported that he had been dragged from his house by three armed men who accused him of being a mercenary of Gadaffi and raped his wife.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zucchino |first=David |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-libya-prisoners-20110324,0,5389027,full.story |title=Libya uprising: Libyan rebels appear to take leaf from Moammar Kadafi's playbook |publisher=latimes.com |date=2011-03-24 |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> The U.N. refugee agency [[UNHCR]] has also reported cases of sub-Saharan migrant women being raped and kidnapped by Libyans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110323/hl_nm/us_libyans_move_1 |title=Tens of thousands of Libyans may be on move: U.N. - Yahoo! News |publisher=News.yahoo.com |date= |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> |
|||
====Murder of guest workers and black Libyans==== |
|||
The government of [[Chad]] called on coalition forces to protect its citizens in rebel-held areas in Libya. It claims that dozens had been accused and executed for allegedly being mercenaries in the pay of [[Muammar Gaddafi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE73303S20110404 |title=Chad says citizens abused in rebel-held Libya | Top News | Reuters |publisher=Af.reuters.com |date=2011-04-04 |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> |
|||
A Turkish oil worker reported witnessing the murder of 70 to 80 Sudanese and Chadian guest workers with pruning shears and axes by Libyans who accused them of being mercenaries of Gaddafi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/2011/02/25/134065767/-African-Migrants-Say-They-Face-Hostility-From-Libyans |title=In Libya, African Migrants Say They Face Hostility |publisher=NPR |date=2011-02-25 |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> |
|||
Peter Bouckaert of [[Human Rights Watch]] visited Al Bayda where 156 supposed mercenaries were being held captive. He reports that these men are actually black Libyans from Southern Libya. He argues that the support of the black southern Libyans for the Gaddafi regime is explicable as Gaddafi fought to counter discrimination against this group in Libyan society. In the same interview, Bouckaert also says that those 156 individuals were released by the rebels less than two weeks after being captured.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/hrw-no-mercenaries-eastern-libya-0 |title=HRW: No mercenaries in eastern Libya | Radio Netherlands Worldwide |publisher=Rnw.nl |date= |accessdate=2011-04-22}}</ref> |
|||
====Forced expulsion of black families==== |
|||
[[Sudan]]ese refugees from Eastern Libya reported that armed men went door to door and forced them to leave their homes.<ref name="speroforum1"/> |
|||
====Murder of unarmed migrant workers==== |
|||
Killings of unarmed migrant workers by rebels have been described. On the 18th April a British reporter (Kim Sengupta of ''[[The Independent]]'') who had just arrived at Benghazi by sea from [[Misrata]] described the sufferings of large numbers of migrant workers trapped in Misrata in a broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]]. After mentioning casualties during government forces attack he said about the migrant workers that “…some have also died in clashes with the, err, rebel fighters. They were protesting about the conditions, demanding that they should be repatriated and on a couple of occasions this has led to the rebels opening fire and, err, people dying.”<ref> BBC Radio 4, “Today” programme, 18th April; about 7.53am BST. |
|||
Available on BBC iPlayer for UK listeners at |
|||
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b010dhcm/Today_18_04_2011/ </ref> |
|||
==Libyan Armed Forces== |
|||
=== Gaddafi's response to peaceful demonstrations === |
|||
[[Luis Moreno Ocampo]], chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, estimated that 500-700 people were killed by Col. Gaddafi's security forces in February 2011, before the rebels even took up arms. “Shooting at protestors was systematic,” Mr. Moreno-Ocampo stated, discussing the Libyan government's response to the initial pro-democracy demonstrations. <ref name="NYT">{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/world/africa/05nations.html?ref=world | work=The New York Times | first1=Marlise | last1=Simons | first2=Neil | last2=MacFarquhar | title=Libyan Officials' Arrests Sought by Court in Hague | date=2011-05-04}}</ref> |
|||
=== Conduct === |
|||
Moreno-Ocampo further stated that during the ongoing civil war, "War crimes are apparently committed as a matter of policy” by forces loyal to Col. Gaddafi. <ref name="NYT"/> |
|||
=== Allegations of mass rape === |
|||
A Libyan psychologist, Siham Sergewa, conducted a survey of refugees in Tunisia and Egypt to document the trauma of the civil war. Nearly 300 women reported having been raped. The real number is probably much higher, considering the stigma attached to rape victims in Libyan society. Every single woman in the survey who admitted to being raped, said they were raped by Col. Gaddafi's soldiers or militiamen. <ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110528/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_libya_war_rapes</ref> <ref>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/05/23/libya.rape.survey.psychologist/ | work=CNN | title=Psychologist: Proof of hundreds of rape cases during Libya's war | date=2011-05-23}}</ref> |
|||
==NATO== |
|||
[[NATO]] admitted to the bombing of a civilian area that resulted in casualties. As a result Italy and the Arab League caused for ceasefire, though France insisted on upping the ante.<ref>http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Italy-Arab-League-Head-Call-for-End-of-Hostilities-in-Libya-124342279.html</ref> |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{Portal box|Libya|Human rights}} |
|||
{{reflist}} |
|||
{{2011 Libyan protests}} |
|||
[[Category:2011 Libyan civil war]] |
|||
[[Category:Ethnic cleansing]] |
|||
[[Category:Human rights abuses]] |
|||