International Criminal Court to investigate ISIL crimes in Libya

The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it will open an investigation into the crimes committed by the militants affiliated with Takfiri ISIL terrorists in Libya. ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that a UNSC resolution approved unanimously in March 2011, which referred the situation in Libya to the ICC, extends the court’s jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by ISIL-aligned militant groups in Libya.  Bensouda also said she was “actively considering the investigation and prosecution of further cases,” including alleged crimes against civilians and civilian institutions by extremist groups. The insecurity in Libya hampers the investigation and prosecution of new cases, she noted. ISIL terrorists have been behind a number of crimes in Libya, including the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in February and 28 Ethiopian Christians in April.

Elsewhere in her remarks, Bensouda called on all parties involved in the fighting in Libya to stop targeting civilians and civilian institutions “or committing any other crime that may fall within the ICC’s jurisdiction.” Libya has been the scene of violence and unrest since the 2011 uprising against long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The ouster of Gaddafi gave rise to a patchwork of heavily-armed militias and deep political divisions. The North African country has slid deeper into crisis with two separate governments and parliaments battling for power in recent months. The two rival camps vying for control over the resource-rich country, one controlling the capital city of Tripoli, and the other, Libya’s internationally recognized government ruling the eastern cities of Bayda and Tobruk, have not been able to stabilize the situation despite intervention and aid from international brokers, including the UN. Libya’s government and elected parliament moved to Tobruk after Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militants seized Tripoli and most government institutions in August 2014 and set up its own government and parliament. The UN is facilitating negotiations between Libya’s warring sides on forming a unity government in the country.