News briefing
Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: September 1, 2022
The United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya urged all parties involved in the hostilities in Tripoli to refrain from any further military escalation, and to protect the human rights of civilians, including their lives and property.
In a statement published by the Media Center of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the mission also called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, amid reports of armed clashes in Tripoli over the past days, especially violent fighting between several armed groups, including indiscriminate shooting in densely populated neighborhoods throughout the capital.
The Mission stressed that its monitors are monitoring reports of indiscriminate shelling that has resulted in civilian deaths and massive destruction of civilian property, including vehicles, homes, buildings and medical facilities, the use of force and violence with heavy weapons, the failure of armed groups to take measures to protect civilians and civilian property from the effects of the fighting, and the taking precautionary measures.
The mission also alerted all parties to their shared obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian objects, and to respect the principles of international humanitarian law of distinguishing between civilians and combatants.
It also confirmed that it is monitoring developments in the situation and collecting evidence of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, with the aim of ensuring that those responsible for international crimes are brought to justice.
The fact-finding mission in Libya concluded its statement, urging the Libyan authorities to exercise the utmost restraint and to engage in dialogue to resolve political differences, to facilitate the transition to peace, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Libya.
