Nazhat Shameem Khan, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC); briefs the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Libya.
This article is published in association with United Nations.
Recent months have seen progress towards accountability in Libya, the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Tuesday in a briefing to the UN Security Council.
“There is a new momentum towards justice in Libya, and we now look towards the first trial to be held at the Court in this situation,” Nazhat Shameem Khan told ambassadors.
She said the arrest of alleged war criminal Khaled El Hishri by German authorities in July is “a clear example of the momentum that we are building.”
Mr. El Hishri is alleged to be 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 to at least early 2020.
He is expected to be transferred to the ICC imminently.
A clear message
“For too long, crimes committed in detention facilities in the west and the east of Libya have represented a no-go area for accountability,” said Ms. Khan.
Mr. El Hishri’s case sends “a clear message: those responsible for inflicting suffering in Libya are mistaken if they believe they are still outside the reach of justice.”
Furthermore, work continues towards the arrest and transfer of other fugitives from justice, including Osama Elmasry Njeem and Saif Suleiman Sneidel, who are alleged to have committed war crimes.
Ms. Khan noted that “based on the progress we now see, I firmly believe there is an opportunity for us to show a collective success based on the partnership between Libya, this Council and the ICC.”
This progress has been achieved “despite what are also unprecedented headwinds faced by the Court.”
She stressed that “coercive measures and acts of intimidation against the ICC, civil society and other partners of justice do not serve anyone other than those who wish to benefit from impunity in Libya and in all situations that we address.”
UN aid office condemns latest attacks in Ukraine
The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported large scale attacks in Ukraine’s capital and across multiple regions between Monday and Tuesday morning.
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At least seven civilians were killed, and 20 injured. Residential buildings, a pre-school and a playground were also damaged.
The attacks further disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies, which have already been a challenge for Ukraine. Authorities reported that parts of Kharkiv were left without electricity and water.
More than 50,000 people in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions faced emergency outages. Nationwide, more than 100,000 consumers remain without electricity following the latest wave of strikes.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists that humanitarian partners continue to scale up services to address gender-based violence nationwide. By the end of October, nearly 360,000 women and girls had received support from 100 organizations.
UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale condemned the “ongoing pattern of massive civilian harm” by the strikes and recalled that civilians are protected under international humanitarian law.
At least 127 civilians killed in Lebanon since ceasefire agreement
Almost a year since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was agreed, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) continues to witness increasing attacks by the Israeli military, Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said on Tuesday.
In one of the latest and deadliest attacks last week, at least 13 civilians were killed and at least six were injured in the Ein El-Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees.
“All the fatalities we have documented as a result of this strike were civilians, raising serious concerns that the Israeli military’s attack may have violated international humanitarian law principles on the conduct of hostilities,” Mr. Al-Kheetan warned before calling for a prompt and impartial investigation into the strike.
Israeli military attacks have resulted in the killing of at least 127 civilians in Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on 27 November 2024.
Thousands displaced
The strikes have also destroyed civilian infrastructure and hampered reconstruction efforts and attempts by internally displaced people to go back home.
Over 64,000 people, mostly residents of southern Lebanon, remain displaced in other parts of the country.
Israel started constructing a wall crossing into Lebanese territory that makes 4,000 square metres inaccessible to the population, thus affecting people’s right to return to their lands, Mr. Al-Kheetan said.
“All those internally displaced must be able to go back to their homes, and reconstruction should be supported, not hampered.”
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