Libyan leader, Muammar Ghaddafi: «Human rights recommendations are appreciated.»

© UN / ONU

afrol News, 1 March - Libya is opening up. The human rights group Amnesty International has concluded an investigative visit to Libya; the first in 15 years. During the stay, the group met with Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi, several Ministers, but also imprisoned torture victims. Torture and unfair trials were singled out as the most serious problems.

On the last day of their stay, the Amnesty delegates were received in Sirte by Colonel Ghaddafi, who had "discussed several issues" with them. The further met with the Ministers of Justice and Women Affairs, the Prosecutor-General, as well as judges, lawyers and police and security officials.

The representatives of Libyan authorities assured the human rights group that steps were now being taken to improve the situation in the country. "I assure you that the direction of enhancing human rights protection in Libya is irreversible," Foreign Minister Mohamed Abderrhmane Chalgam told the Amnesty delegation.

The human rights group was surprised to be let into the country. "It was a welcome opportunity to return to the Jamahiriya [Libya] after 15 years," commented Claudio Cordone, who headed the four-person Amnesty delegation. "We are pleased with the unprecedented access we were given to the Libyan authorities and others, particularly to prisoners. We look forward to a serious engagement by Libya with a process of accountability for past violations and reform for the future."

While the group shortly is to publish a report based on its findings during its visit to Libya, some initial findings were released already today. In particular, the delegates highlighted a pattern of unfair trials before Libya's many exceptional courts, specifically the People's Court. Several sources had told of unfair practices, including the imposture of lawyers.

The delegates also concluded that torture is often used in Libya, "as confirmed by detailed testimonies collected during the visit." Torture was facilitated by prolonged incommunicado detention without access to the outside world.

The group also looked into the case of a group of Muslim Brothers convicted under a law criminalising the formation of political parties. The Amnesty delegated had been able to establish during the visit that the brotherhood member were not convicted of any activities relating to the use or advocacy of violence, and therefore urged their release.

The Amnesty delegates during the visit presented a memorandum to the Libyan authorities, discussing the human rights situation in the country, including comments and recommendations. This memorandum, according to the group, had been "appreciated" by Colonel Ghaddafi.

The group had presented Colonel Ghaddafi with a set of recommendations "aimed at contributing to effective and durable human rights protection in the country." Recommendations included the release of political prisoners, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and abolishing the People's Court and transferring its jurisdiction to the ordinary criminal justice system.

Further, Amnesty recommended ensuring that Libyan nationals were "able to actively work on human rights issues in the country, set up independent bodies specialising in this task, and are able to communicate their findings to the authorities and to the outside world without fear of retaliation."

By staff writer

© afrol News

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