Libya militias commit 'mounting war crimes'
LONDON, Oct 30 (MENA) - Pro-government and rebel militias vying for control of western Libya are committing war crimes including torturing detainees and targeting civilians, Amnesty International said Thursday, according to Alarabiya.
Amnesty said militias in the west showed “an utter disregard” for civilian casualties and accused them of indiscriminately lobbing artillery fire into crowded civilian neighborhoods, damaging homes and hospitals.
"In today’s Libya, the rule of the gun has taken hold,” said Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director for Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa programme.
"Armed groups and militias are running amok, launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas and committing widespread abuses, including war crimes, with complete impunity".
Amnesty also listed cases of armed groups abducting and torturing “scores of civilians” based on their place of origin or perceived political affiliation.
It called on armed groups to cease abductions and civilian targeting and warned that militia leaders could eventually be tried for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
"In the absence of accountability, the human rights situation in Libya is likely to continue its downward spiral,” Sahraoui said.