Amnesty International Accuses U.N. Security Council and African Union of Failing the People of Libya with ‘Half-Hearted’ Response as Violence Flares

Amnesty International today accused the international community of failing the people of Libya in their hour of greatest need as violence spirals and Colonel al-Gaddafi threatens to “cleanse Libya house by house”.

The organization said the response to the Libya crisis by the U.N. Security Council fell shamefully below what was needed to stop the spiralling violence , and called for concrete action, including an immediate arms embargo and assets freeze.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday issued a statement calling for an end to the violence and urging Libya to act with restraint and respect human rights, but took no substantive measures.
Amnesty International also criticized the African Union, which has not convened its Peace and Security Council to address the human rights crisis in Libya.

“Colonel al-Gaddafi has publicly made clear his readiness to kill those who oppose him in order to stay in power,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary-General. “This is unacceptable. Colonel al-Gaddafi and all those reporting to him need to know that they will be held personally accountable under international law for the crimes they commit.”

“His threats make the half-hearted response from the international community even more shocking. What Libyans need now is not mere words of concern but immediate, concrete action.”Amnesty International said that as a bare minimum the Security Council must impose an immediate arms embargo against Libya and an asset freeze against al-Gaddafi and his key security and military advisers.

The call came as Colonel al-Gaddafi gave a speech in which he called protesters “cockroaches” and “rats,” and compared the situation to China, saying that national unity had been “more important than the people of Tiananmen Square."Amnesty International also criticized the response of the African Union to the unfolding crisis, which has seen hundreds killed and persistent reports of mercenaries being brought in from African countries by the Libyan leader to violently suppress the protests against him.“

It is outrageous that the African Union Peace and Security Council has not even met to discuss the emergency taking place in one of its own member states,” said Salil Shetty. Amnesty International called on the African Union to ensure that its member states, particularly those bordering Libya, are not complicit in human rights abuses in Libya. The organization also urged the Arab League, which yesterday banned Libya from participation in its meetings, to act at once on its public commitments, in particular by launching an independent Arab investigative committee into the crisis in Libya.

In full, Amnesty International called on:·

The United Nations Security Council: to immediately impose an arms embargo on Libya preventing transfer of equipment and personnel, implement an asset freeze against Colonel al-Gaddafi and his senior military and security advisers and state unequivocally that crimes under international law in Libya will be investigated and punished.

The African Union and its member states: to immediately investigate reports that armed elements are being transported from African countries to Libya, acting to secure the land borders into Libya and monitor suspicious flights.·

The U.N. General Assembly: to immediately suspend Libya from the 47-member UN Human Rights Council.· The UN Human Rights Council: to deploy a fact-finding mission to Libya to make rapid recommendations on human rights abuses and whether a referral to the International Criminal Court is warranted.

Libya and neighboring countries: to facilitate the safe departure of those who wish to leave Libya.

Middle East Uprisings

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As the World Stood in Solidarity with the Egyptians

Thousands of people rallied in cities across the world on Saturday, February 12th to demand respect for human rights in the Middle East and North Africa as part of a global day of action organized by Amnesty International.

Activists, trade unionists, students and Amnesty International supporters created a sea of red, black and white - the colors of the Egyptian flag - in countries from Switzerland to South Korea in a day of "solidarity and defiance."

“Across the Middle East and North Africa, and around the world, ordinary people who held little hope for a better future just two months ago are realizing now that change truly is possible,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, who led events in London’s Trafalgar Square.

“Today, as we raise our voices, our placards and our fists, we have joined them in solidarity and defiance." Rallies were held in cities across Australia, Benin, Canada, Germany, France, Mali, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries.

The event in London was linked to Egypt Tahrir Square, the center of mass protests calling for human rights and political reform.

The rallies were organized by Amnesty International and supported by the International Trade Unions Congress, Human Rights Watch, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, among others.

"We stand in defiance against all those who try to suppress this growing movement of people standing up for their rights, facing down injustice and offering hope for a better future," said Shetty.

Mass anti-government demonstrations have flared across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa in recent weeks, with many protesters killed, injured or detained. Amnesty International is urging all state authorities in the region to respect human rights.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers who campaign for universal human rights from more than 150 countries. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied

STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE

Join Amnesty International USA and global partners in a global day of action this SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12th at the Egypt Consulate Chicago from 12-1pm to stand in solidarity with the Egyptian People demanding an end to repression and respect for human rights and freedom!