Libya Suspended From UN Rights Body, ICC Expected To Move Quickly On Security Council Referral

The international community is stepping up pressure on the Gaddafi government in Libya, as reports of violence continue to come out of Tripoli and Western parts of the country.

The United Nations General Assembly today agreed to suspend Libya from its seat on the Human Rights Council, as all members of international rights body, including Libya’s representatives, had requested it to do last week in Geneva.   

Today’s decision was accepted by consensus, but Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United Nations warned the General Assembly against the possibility of an American led military intervention in Libya.

“Venezuela calls for the rejection of warmongering mobilization of the US Air Force and Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.”  said Ambassador Jorge Valero  “We deplore the double standards applied to Human rights by imperialist countries. The death of one single human being in Libya is painful. Also painful are the death of thousands of human beings suffering from imperialist military invasions.” 

US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice fired back at Valero’s criticism, saying her country utterly rejected the “ugly distortion” by the Venezuelan Ambassador. 

“At a time when this assembly is acting in unison in support of the Libyan people, it’s shameful that one member state, whose own reprehensible record speaks for itself, would manipulate this occasion to spread lies, foster fear and sow hate.” Rice told the Assembly. 

Speaking before the General Assembly, Secretary General Ban Ki Moon outlined the most recent reports of violence through the country and praised the Human Rights Council’s decision to open an international inquiry into the alleged abuses.

On Saturday, all 15 members of the Security Council agreed to a resolution imposing financial sanctions and travel bans on the Gaddafi regime. The council also requested the International Criminal Court investigate reported incidents of violence that have taken place through out the country since February 15th. 

This is the second time the Security Council has referred a case to the ICC. In 2005, the Council passed a resolution bringing the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan to the attention of the court. Both China and the US,  permanent Security Council members not party to the Rome statute, abstained from voting. At the time, American officials at the UN said referral to the ICC was the main reason for abstaining. 

Beijing and Washington’s representatives at the Council voted in favor of an ICC referral on Saturday, but the US reportedly insisted on the inclusion of a clause that would protect government officials and nationals of non ICC member states from international prosecution “related to operations in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya established or authorized by the Council”. 

 Some initial reports voiced concern that the exemption could protect foreign mercenaries hired by the Gaddafi regime, but in a press conference this morning, Christian Wenaweser, President of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, told reporters the resolution’s language was meant to exclude foreign mercenaries responsible for attacks on Libyan protesters and opposition groups.

The  final decision whether or not pursue a greater investigation will be up to head ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, who is expected to make an announcement quickly once he is formally notified by the Security Council. Wenaweser said the head ICC prosecutor would also be coordinating his decision to investigate with the Human Rights Council’s inquiry.

Libyan Ambassador Pleads for Help from Security Council

The Libyan ambassador to the United Nations pleaded with the Security Council to take action against his own country, in an emotional address this afternoon.

Ambassador Mohamed Shalgham called on the world body to take the necessary action to stop violent attacks against protesters and civilians in his country.

“Please United Nations, save Libya. No to bloodshed. No to killing of innocents. We want a decisive , rapid and courageous resolution from you.” Shalgham told Council members. 

In a rarely seen show of solidarity at the Security Council, foreign diplomats hugged and embraced the Libyan Ambassador after his speech. Earlier in the week, Shalgham had been lukewarm in his criticism of Gaddafi, but on Friday he said could no longer support the Libyan leader. 

“It cannot continue. You cannot be a leader, or a king, or a president while you are killing your people just for saying I want to be free! It is not a crime to say I want to be free!” he told reporters afterwards.

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who spoke to Gaddafi for over 40 minutes on Monday, said he doubted the Libyan strongman would respond positively to the international community’s calls for restraint and said he hoped the Council would act quickly. 

“I urge the Security Council to consider the wide range of options for action.  Those include proposals for trade and financial sanctions, including targeted measures against the leadership such as a ban on travel and the freezing of financial assets.” said Ban, adding that some Security Council members had also called for an arms embargo. 

However some have argued that such measures would not have the immediate affect of halting the violence that, according to the United Nations, has claimed the lives of over 1 000 people and is reportedly still carrying on through out the country.

French Ambassador Gerard Arnaud told reporters that at this stage, a military operation was not on the table.

The Security Council will meet on Saturday morning to continue discussing specific measures to be included in the resolution.

UN Rights Body Condemns Libya, Calls For Investigation Into Violence

All the members of the  UN Human Rights Council, including the Libyan representative, spoke out against the Gaddafi regime crackdown on protesters in a meeting in Geneva on Friday.

The council agreed on a draft resolution that would urgently create an international commission to investigate incidents of violence against civilians and possibly suspend Tripoli’s seat on the Rights Council. 

Libyan envoy Adel Shaltut called for a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives and emphasized the rift between Libya’s diplomats and the Gaddafi government loyalists in Tripoli. 

“We in the Libyan mission have categorically decided to serve as representatives of Libyan people and their free will. We only represent the Libyan people.” said Shaltut, whose statement was met with applause by Council members.

Advocacy group Human Rights Watch’s (HRW), an independent observer at the Council, said it greatly supported an urgent international inquiry into the violence. 

“Because Libyan authorities restrict the ability of human rights organizations and journalists to document ongoing violence, no one knows exactly how many people have died as a result of attack by Libyan security forces on protesters in the past week.” said Julie De Rivero HRW representative in Geneva, “By speaking directly to those who are receiving the dead at hospitals in Tripoli and Benghazi, Human RIghts Watch has compiled a toll of more than 300 deaths, but that number may only be a fraction of the number killed given the difficulty documenting the deaths on the ground.” 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to travel to Geneva to address the Council on Monday.

Ban Tells Libya To Cease Firing On Civilians

Violence against civilians in Libya must stop and those responsible for the attacks must be held responsible in courts of law says United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

“The reported nature and scale of attacks on civilians are egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.“ the Secretary General told reporters this afternoon. “Those responsible for brutally shedding the blood of innocents must be punished” 

Ban cut short an official trip to Los Angeles today,  returning to UN headquarters in New York to discuss the situation in Libya with his senior advisors.

Earlier in the day the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) , an international body that counts Libya as a member, announced it will hold a Special Session on the situation in Libya on Friday. This will be the first time a special session is convened to discuss the human rights situation in UNHRC member state.  

Ban said he welcomed UNHRC’ Special Session as well as the possible creation of an international inquiry into the reported attacks and violence that have so far forced thousands of Libyan to flee the country. 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) was able to confirm that at least 5 000 people have arrived along the border with Tunisia and 15 000 more at the crossing with Egypt. 

Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said earlier today his country is concerned the collapse of the regime in Libya could lead to a massive influx of immigrants, estimating that anywhere between 200 000 to 300 000 could seek refuge in Italy in the near future. 

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says the UN refugee agency has appealed to countries in Europe and North Africa not to return those fleeing violence and repression in Libya. 

Libyan UN Deputy Ambassador Fears Genocide In Western Libya Has Begun

As the Security Council late today released a statement calling on the government of Libya to stop the violence against its people, the country’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations said he had hoped for a stronger message from the international community and warned against a surge in violence. 

“I have received information today, that after the statement by Col. Gaddafi today, the attack on people have started in the Western parts of Libya. ” said Deputy Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi ” I hope the information I get is not accurate, but if its right, it will be a real genocide.”

Yesterday, Dabbashi said he could no longer support the Gaddafi regime for its attacks against the Libyan people and requested the Security Council action. 

 Dabbashi’s statements seem to be at odds with those of  Libya’s top Ambassador at the UN, Mohamed Shalgham, who reiterated his support for Gaddafi this morning, but failed to meet the press after the Security Council issued its statement.

Libya’s diplomatic corps have been increasingly vocal in their response to the reports of violence in Tripoli and Benghazi. Libya’s Ambassador in Washington DC, Ali Suleiman Aujali, also called today for Gaddafi to step down, joining the country’s Ambassadors to Malaysia and India, and permanent representative to the Arab league in denouncing the regimes response to protests.

Gaddafi gave a long and at times confusing speech on Libyan state television earlier today, threatening to step up the violent crackdown on protesters and calling on Libya’s youth to take to the streets and fight those who oppose the regime. Gaddafi is well known for his long speeches. Speaking before the UN General Assembly in 2009, the Libyan strongman went over his allotted 15 minute speaking time by nearly an hour and a half. Today’s address was punctuated by long pauses and occasional outbursts, seeming more like an impromptu rant than a prepared speech. 

“The Gaddafi statement was just a code for his collaborators to start the genocide against the Libyan people” Dabbashi told reporters.

United Nations Under Secretary for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, who briefed Security Council members on the situation in Libya earlier this afternoon, told reporters he was also very concerned by Gaddafi’s speech. 

“Anyone who is inciting populations against themselves, asking some people to attack other people, particularly if some of those people are peaceful demonstrators,  is a very dangerous thing.” said Pascoe “I was quite concerned about threats and various kinds of retaliation that was in that speech.”

 Earlier in the day the Secretary General’s spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters the UN chief spoke to Gaddafi for over 40 minutes on Monday. Nesirky said Gaddafi’s comments to the Secretary General were similar to those he made in his televised appearance and that Ban Ki Moon had again urged the Libyan leader to put an end to the violence that has claimed the lives of more than 230 people, according to the latest incomplete figures released by Human Rights Watch.