The Committee for Justice (CFJ) welcomes the announcement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, of the names of the members of the independent Fact-Finding Mission in Libya, in order to initiate urgent, independent, impartial, thorough and transparent investigations into serious violations of international law and human rights abuses in the North African country.
An independent investigation could guarantee the realization of the right to justice, truth, and reparation, as well as ensure adequate care and protection for victims and accountability for those responsible for the violations, in accordance with international law and standards, and fair trial rules.
Bachelet has announced the appointment of the members of the independent fact-finding mission on Libya following the decision of the Human Rights Council to establish that mission on June 22 last year, with the aim of documenting human rights violations and abuses by all parties in Libya since the beginning of 2016, in light of the deteriorating security and the absence of an effective judicial system there.
CFJ appreciates the role played by the United Nations in sponsoring a comprehensive reconciliation process in Libya, and the work of UN bodies to end the armed conflict and proxy war, in a way that helps to achieve stability and address human rights and the situation of migrants in the war-torn country.
The CFJ also expresses its grave concern about the overall climate and the volatile security environment surrounding the work of the Human Rights Committee in light of the escalation of armed conflict, the deterioration of infrastructure, the control of armed groups over many joints of the state, as well as the deterioration of the conditions of human rights defenders, and the constant targeting of civil society organizations by different actors.
The organization affirms what the High Commissioner has stated that this body of experts will act as a primary mechanism to effectively address widespread impunity in violations and abuses of human rights committed, and can also act as a deterrent to prevent further violations and contribute to peace and stability in the country.
CFJ calls on the fact-finding committee to take lessons learned from the work of many international committees and bodies that have been formed recently in Libya, especially those working to monitor and document human rights violations, and to avoid slipping into the raging political conflict there.
CFJ also calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, international human rights law, to cooperate constructively and support the efforts of the mission, and to enable its members to fully and freely access the areas it will visit and to provide them with the information needed to carry out their work.
The independent fact-finding mission in Libya is expected to provide an oral update to the Human Rights Council in September and a comprehensive written report on the human rights situation in Libya, including efforts to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses, and to prevent them.
