UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2019) Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court intend next year to redouble their efforts to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Libya to justice, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday.
"Libya will continue to be a priority situation for my office in 2020," Bensouda said. "My team continues to examine allegations against all parties to the conflict to assess whether they bear criminal responsibility under the Rome Statute [of the International Criminal Court]."
Bensouda said all those involved in unlawful violence in Libya that has led to loss of life and actions amounting to war crimes or crimes against humanity must be liable to prosecution.
"Let me be clear: I will not hesitate to bring new applications for warrants of arrest against those most responsible for alleged crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC," Bensouda said.
During the council meeting, US Deputy Legal Advisor to the United Nations Julian Simcock voiced support for efforts to bring war criminals to justice, but underscored that his country opposes the ICC. Washington has long refused to recognize the authority of the international court for fear that it could seek to prosecute US troops for war crimes in Afghanistan.
For his part, Russia's Deputy Envoy to the United Nations Gennady Kuzmin, quoting the ICC prosecutor, emphasized that the people of Libya deserve peace and stability after years of conflict.
Libya has been split between the two rival administrations since its long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was toppled and killed by EU- and US-supported Islamic extremists in 2011.
