Libya has recognised the authority of the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes on its territory, even though it is not a party to the court's founding treaty, chief prosecutor Karim Khan said on Thursday.
"I strongly welcome the courage, the leadership and the decision by the Libyan authorities" to accept the ICC's jurisdiction over possible war crimes and repression committed in the country, Mr Khan said.
Speaking to the UN Security Council by video, the chief prosecutor told of progress in uncovering what he called "a black box of suffering on the Mediterranean coast", referring to detention centres where alleged crimes have taken place.
He highlighted Libyan authorities' stated commitment to co-operate with the court and called for the handover of a suspect accused of grave crimes against detainees, including migrants and refugees.
In particular, he told of "an unprecedented six months of dynamism", pointing to the arrest in January of Osama Elmasry Njeem, a commander in the disbanded Special Deterrence Force.
Mr Njeem, who ran the Mitiga detention centre, is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture against migrants. He was briefly detained in Italy in January but was released two days later on "procedural grounds" and returned to Libya.
“There was real disappointment amongst victims that Mr Njeem has been returned to the scene of the alleged crimes,” said Mr Khan.
He urged Libyan authorities to hand over Mr Njeem to the ICC so he can stand trial for the crimes that were listed in the warrant.
Libya has been under ICC investigation since 2011, when the Security Council referred the case to the court amid the uprising that toppled long-time leader Muammar Qaddafi. The ICC opened its probe days later.
In November 2023, Mr Khan said his office aimed to conclude investigative work in Libya by the end of 2025, after which no further arrest warrants would be sought.
The ICC has issued warrants for 12 people linked to alleged crimes during Libya's 2011 revolution, the 2014-2020 conflict and abuses in detention centres, including against migrants.
Three of those wanted have since died, while eight remain fugitives. The court dismissed the case against Mr Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, Abdullah Al Senussi, ruling it inadmissible.
Libyan authorities have failed to arrest and transfer any ICC suspects since 2011, stalling efforts to deliver justice. The Security Council has not acted on the court’s past requests to enforce co-operation from Libya.
Mr Khan’s briefing came after US President Donald Trump’s February 6 executive order authorising sanctions against ICC officials, including the chief prosecutor.
Washington's acting alternate representative to the UN, John Kelley, condemned the ICC as a "politicised" body, accusing it of bias against the US and Israel.
"The ICC has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel," Mr Kelley said, warning that Mr Trump’s sanctions order would bring "tangible and significant consequences" for those involved in the court’s decisions.
The ICC in November approved arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes, including restricting aid and attacking citizens during Israel’s Gaza offensive.
Nine Security Council members – France, Britain, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia, all ICC signatories – opposed, stating that attacking the court or its personnel was "counterproductive to our shared goal of ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes".
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
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Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
