Public statement 4/2011: Prevalence of human rights in Libya
Conectas and Humanas call for inquiry into death of Gaddafi and abuses committed by his regime, and stress importance of Rule of Law and human rights in the country
October 27, 2011
Public statement 4/2011
Prevalence of human rights in Libya
Conectas and Humanas call for inquiry into death of Gaddafi and abuses committed by his regime, and stress importance of Rule of Law and human rights in the country
Conectas Human Rights and Corporación Humanas request that the circumstances surrounding the death of Muammar al-Gaddafi be investigated independently and immediately, in accordance with standards established by international law.
The former dictator was killed on October 20. In response to the announcement that Libya’s NTC has formed a committee to investigate the death of al-Gaddafi, Conectas and Corporación Humanas stress the need for the inquiry to be conducted based on international standards of respect for the due process of law and human rights.
The inquiry in Libya should also investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of the serious violations committed by the al-Gaddafi regime. In this respect, we echo the call made by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, that the “thousands of victims who lost their lives, disappeared, were tortured and suffered human rights violations during the long regime of al-Gaddafi have the right to know the truth, to witness the end of the culture of impunity and to receive reparations”. We hope that this right is also extended to the victims of abuse during the conflicts that led to the fall of the al-Gaddafi regime.
We also consider it fundamental for the future government of Libya to promote and respect the regional and international human rights instruments of which the country is already a signatory and ratify the remainder1, in order to guarantee fundamental rights in Libya.
Constructive engagement in the multilateral human rights system, by submitting to international scrutiny, will also help mark the beginning of a new chapter in Libya. The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) sent a request to the General Assembly on October 2011 asking it to consider lifting the suspension on Libya’s membership of the HRC. For this to occur, the country’s new authorities will be required to make a commitment to the prevalence of human rights both internally and in the position it takes in relation to other situations around the world.
We believe that true change will come from the establishment of the Rule of Law and independent democratic institutions in Libya.
As Latin American civil society organizations, we hope to share our experience with Libyan civil society on the challenges to be faced during the transition to democracy. We shall also continue to monitor the role of our governments so they contribute to the establishment of the Rule of Law in Libya and the creation of effective mechanisms of justice, truth and reparation for victims.
Contacts
Conectas Human Rights: conectas@conectas.org
Corporación Humanas: clagos@humanas.cl
To read the public statement in Spanish, click here.
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1 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearance; Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the Death Penalty.
