The UN has warned that the lack of accountability and years of impunity enjoyed by those responsible for human rights abuses in Libya's Tarhuna could exacerbate instability and deepen divisions in the war-torn country.
A joint report highlighted the brutal reign of Al Kaniyat, an armed group that rose to power in 2011 and subsequently took control of Tarhuna, a city 90km south-east of Tripoli with a population of about 150,000.
The report was released by the Human Rights Service of the UN Support Mission in Libya and the UN Human Rights Office on Friday.
Based on site visits in Tarhuna and interviews with more than 50 victims, survivors and their families, the UN identified a pattern of widespread and systematic human rights abuses committed by Al Kaniyat from 2013 to 2020.
The militia was led by six brothers from the Kani family who imposed their dominance by slaughtering opponents and their families.
Oil-rich Libya was plunged into years of chaos and lawlessness after a 2011 Nato-backed uprising that led to the removal and killing of long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Dozens of militias took advantage of the power vacuum.
The report also found numerous abuses had been committed from 2020 to 2022 by armed elements aligned with the former interim Government of National Accord, including killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, abductions, torture and forced displacement.
It highlighted grave breaches of international humanitarian law in the area, warning that without justice, the cycle of violence was expected to continue.
The findings have renewed calls for accountability and justice for the victims as the UN urged Libyan authorities to take urgent measures to address these breaches and prevent further unrest.
“Years have passed since these terrible violations were committed but the perpetrators have still not been brought to justice, nor have truth, justice or reparations been delivered to victims and their families,” said UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
“The impunity must end. There must be accountability in accordance with international due process and fair trial standards."
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced in November 2022 that additional applications for arrest warrants related to the situation in Libya were being submitted.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Rating: 3/5
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
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- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
