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UN report condemns Libya authorities for ‘wide array of war crimes’ – JURIST

]The UN Monday reported that it believes Libyan authorities are responsible for a “wide array of war crimes.”The report is the culmination of an investigation completed by UN-appointed human rights investigators. Their report detailed numerous cases of “murder, rape and enslavement” throughout the country and explained that survivors have been deterred from “lodging official complaints” due to a “lack of confidence in the justice system.”Mohammed Aujjar, chair of the UN fact finding mission in Libya, requested that Libyan authorities set out a “human rights plan of action,” as the investigation found Libyan authorities were the force “curtailing human rights.” In January, the UN similarly called on Libya to address its human rights violations.According to the report, human and women’s rights defenders are the main targets for the abuse and persecution. The report further explains that detainees have been subjected to “torture and solitary confinement.” Echoing the UN report, human rights organization Freedom House reported that only “1 in 40 people” in Libya have political rights and only “8 in 60” have civil liberties.The country itself has long been divided since the overthrow of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. The Council on Foreign Relations reports that the country has faced a “spread of the Islamic State” and an ongoing civil war since Qaddafi’s death. While Libya faces criticism from the international community, the United States Institute of Peace identified devision and rights violations in Libya as a result of exploitation by international governments seeking personal gain.