Migrants trapped in Libya from where they are trying to reach Europe are reduced to sexual slavery, a crime against humanity, denounced on Monday the UN fact-finding mission on the situation of human rights in this country. country.
The mission is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the human rights situation in Libya, concluding once again that “there is reason to believe that a wide range of war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed by state security forces and armed militias”, in a statement issued on the occasion of the presentation of its latest report.
Investigators explain that these abuses are committed “against Libyans and migrants throughout Libya”, in places of detention.
The mission documented and observed numerous cases of arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances, confirming that these practices are widespread in Libya.
In particular, the mission indicates that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that sexual slavery, a crime against humanity, was committed against migrants”.
According to the mission, the migrants were enslaved in official detention centers as well as in “secret prisons”, where rapes are committed, all constituting crimes against humanity.
This human trafficking, slavery, forced labor, imprisonment, extortion and smuggling of vulnerable migrants “generates significant revenues for individuals, groups and state institutions, in pursuit of violations”.
“There is an urgent need for accountability to end this widespread impunity,” mission president Mohamed Auajjar said in the statement.
“We call on the Libyan authorities to urgently develop a human rights action plan and a transitional justice roadmap that focuses on victims, and to hold accountable all those responsible for human rights violations”, he added.
The mission was established in 2020 by the Human Rights Council to investigate violations committed by all parties in Libya since 2016. Since then, the mission has conducted over 400 interviews and collected over 2,800 pieces of information , including photos and videos.
She will share her information with the International Criminal Court, including the list of individuals who could be held responsible for the abuses, but also asks the UN to set up a new commission to continue the investigative work.