Libya: Violations of International Law and the International Criminal Court

On Tuesday, the UN Special Envoy to Libya announced that since violence began in mid-February over 665,000 people have fled Libya as a result of attacks by pro-Qaddafi troops on cities and villages throughout the country and continued fighting between pro- and anti-Qaddafi forces.

Qaddafi’s forces continue to bombard Misrata, the third largest city in the country, using indiscriminate weapons that have lead to massive civilian casualties. Pro-Qaddafi troops have committed grave violations of international law due to their use of heavy weapons against civilian targets. This includes attacks using cluster munitions, which indiscriminately scatter thousands of smaller bomblets over a large area, regular artillery shelling of Misrata, and using naval mines to blockade attempts to deliver humanitarian aid by sea.
 
On Wednesday, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo briefed the UN Security Council on the ongoing investigations into crimes committed in Libya and announced that he will ask for the pre-trial chamber to issue summons for the arrest of three officials in the coming weeks. The referral of the situation in Libya to the ICC is one of the recommendations SDC/GI-NET issued in response to the violence against civilians by Qaddafi’s forces. The international community must hold Qaddafi and other perpetrators of violence against civilians accountable.
 
Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the United States will examine laws to potential unfreeze Qaddafi’s assets so they “can make those funds available to help the Libyan people.” These funds would be used to for basic services such as the provision of food, water, and sanitation and salaries for civil servants. If the United States and international community provides funds for the Libyan opposition, it is essential for use of the fund to be transparent to ensure they are not being used to fuel violence against civilians or disappear into the pockets of corrupt officials.