Benghazi: The Steering Committee of the Benghazi Municipality, representing displaced people of Benghazi in the western region, has declared its full support for the necessity of accountability for international crimes as a basic condition for achieving lasting national reconciliation and stability in Libya. The committee emphasized that addressing past international crimes is crucial for the country’s future.
According to Libyan News Agency, the committee’s statement reaffirmed its alignment with the statement issued by the co-chairs of the Working Group on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the United Nations Mission with the International Criminal Court in The Hague. This statement, issued on March 7, highlighted the importance of accountability in addressing international crimes.
The Steering Committee urged the Presidential Council, responsible for the national reconciliation program, to implement policies that ensure transitional justice and effective accountability. They stressed that these measures are vital for providing justice to victims and restoring citizens’ confidence in state institutions.
The committee also underscored the Ministry of Justice’s role in reinforcing legal frameworks, collaborating with the International Criminal Court, and fulfilling international obligations to achieve prompt justice. They advocated for a fair and transparent trial process for those who committed serious violations against Libyans.
The statement emphasized that achieving justice is fundamental for any successful national reconciliation process and warned that impunity would only prolong the crisis and threaten Libya’s peace and stability.
The committee called on all concerned parties, both locally and internationally, to fulfill their responsibilities to ensure accountability and achieve justice, aligning with the Libyan people’s aspirations to build a state based on the rule of law and respect for rights.
In a joint statement last Friday, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, as co-chairs of the Working Group on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, reiterated that accountability for international crimes in Libya is essential for achieving lasting peace and expressed their full support for the International Criminal Court’s efforts.