HRW accuses Haftar’s troops of committing war crimes

Non-Governmental Organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that the Libyan forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Haftar may have committed war crimes including killing and beating civilians, and summarily executing and desecrating bodies of opposition fighters in the eastern city of Benghazi on and around March 18.

“The LNA leadership needs to respond urgently to these deeply disturbing allegations by investigating the suspected perpetrators, including senior military commanders who may bear individual responsibility,” said Joe Stork, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch.

The international organization called Marshal Hafter for conducting a transparent investigation to take the measures against the military leaders who involved in committing such humanitarian violations. It signaled that the soldiers of National Libyan Army killed a large number of extremists without referring them to the trial.

In response, Libyan military leader Waneed Bou Khamada revealed that the forces who committed any violations against the bodies of extremist militants after the control of Benghazi’s Building (12).

On his hand, UN envoy Martin Kobler has underlined “his grave concern at continued and persistent reports of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law being perpetrated across Libya.”

“I remind all parties that those responsible for committing, ordering or failing to prevent these acts, including hostage-taking, torture, extrajudicial executions, indiscriminate shelling and desecration of corpses when in a position to do so, are criminally liable, including in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC),” he added.