'Mounting war crimes' in Libya

Rival militias in Libya have committed massive violations of human rights, including kidnapping, torture and executions, Amnesty International said in its latest report released on Thursday. The human rights organization also accused both pro-government and rebel fighters in the west of the country of showing "an utter disregard" for civilian casualties.

"In today's Libya, the rule of the gun has taken hold," said Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director for Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa program.

"Armed groups and militias are running amok, launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas and committing widespread abuses, including war crimes, with complete impunity," he added.

A country divided

Libya is being rocked by fighting between militias in the west and in the second city of Benghazi, where troops are trying to dislodge Islamists who control most of what was the cradle of the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi. After the regime change, the authorities in the North African nation have failed to stamp their authority on the conflicting factions that fought in the uprising.

Amnesty claims that members of Fajr Libya -- an Islamist-led militia alliance that seized Tripoli at the end of August -- and pro-government groups from the western city of Zintan had both fired "GRAD rockets and artillery in crowded civilian neighborhoods." Amnesty also listed cases of armed groups abducting and torturing "scores of civilians" based on their place of origin or perceived political affiliation.

'Shot to the back of the head'

"Detainees were subjected to prolonged beatings with plastic tubes, sticks, metal bars or cables. In some cases, they were subjected to electric shocks, suspended in contorted positions for hours, kept continuously blindfolded and shackled with their hands tied behind their backs or deprived of food and water and denied access to washing and sanitary facilities for periods of up to three days," said Amnesty International in the report, based on more than 50 interviews with the victims.

Alleged torture victims included a truck driver who was abducted from the town of Zawiya, beaten with a metal bar and given electric shocks before being doused in petrol and set alight. In another case, a wounded fighter was kidnapped while being transferred to Tunisia for medical treatment and "shot with a gun most likely to the back of the head," Amnesty said.

What comes after Gadhafi?

Amnesty has also criticized the international community for turning its back on Libya after the regime change in 2011. Earlier this month, the United Nations called for a truce between government-backed forces and Islamist militias, but fighting continues unabated.

Based on UN estimates, about 100,000 people have already fled Libya since July.

Amnesty International has also called on International Criminal Court to get involved into investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in this country. "In the absence of accountability, the human rights situation in Libya is likely to continue its downward spiral," Sahraoui said.

dj/tj(Reuters, AFP)