The International Criminal Court has unsealed arrest warrants for six men allegedly linked to a Libyan militia responsible for multiple killings in the town of Tarhunah. The town has been the site of mass graves discovered in 2020. Since the NATO-backed uprising that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has been in turmoil, with rival administrations backed by militias and foreign governments. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that evidence gathered indicates that residents of Tarhunah were subjected to war crimes including murder, torture, and sexual violence.
The arrest warrants were issued for Abdelrahim al-Kani, Makhlouf Douma, Nasser al-Lahsa, Mohammed Salheen, Abdelbari al-Shaqaqi, and Fathi al-Zinkal. Three suspects were leaders of the Al Kaniyat militia in Tarhunah from 2015 to 2020, while the other three were Libyan security officials associated with the militia during the alleged crimes. The warrants were initially issued in April and July of 2023 but were kept under seal until now.
The ICC does not have its own police force and relies on cooperation from member states to enforce arrest warrants. Khan expressed the need for collaboration with Libyan authorities to ensure the suspects face justice in court. The court’s investigation in Libya began in 2011 but so far, no suspects have faced trial due to the challenges of enforcing warrants in the country.
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