Briefing the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday, Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said “a new momentum towards justice” has taken hold, driven in part by the arrest of alleged war criminal Khaled El Hishri by German authorities in July.
El Hishri is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, at Libya’s notorious Mitiga Prison between February 2015 and early 2020. He is expected to be transferred to The Hague imminently.
Khan told ambassadors that his arrest breaks a long-standing barrier to accountability. “For too long, crimes committed in detention facilities in the west and the east of Libya have represented a no-go area for accountability,” she said. The El Hishri case, she added, sends “a clear message: those responsible for inflicting suffering in Libya are mistaken if they believe they are still outside the reach of justice.”
Khan also highlighted ongoing efforts to secure the arrest and transfer of fugitives, including Osama Elmasry Njeem and Saif Suleiman Sneidel, both accused of war crimes.
Khan said the progress achieved reflects deeper cooperation between Libya, the Security Council and the ICC, despite significant pressures on the Court. “Based on the progress we now see, I firmly believe there is an opportunity for us to show a collective success,” she told the Council.
However, she warned that the Court continues to face “unprecedented headwinds”, including intimidation and coercive measures targeting ICC officials, civil society groups and justice partners. Such actions, she stressed, “do not serve anyone other than those who wish to benefit from impunity in Libya and in all situations that we address.”
The ICC has been investigating crimes committed in Libya since 2011, but protracted conflict, political fragmentation and limited access to detention sites have hindered accountability efforts. The Court hopes the latest breakthroughs mark a turning point in its long-running pursuit of justice for Libyan victims.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
