A UN investigation released on Monday found that migrants stranded in Libya while trying to reach Europe were being systematically tortured and forced into sexual slavery, and that there were reasonable grounds to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed.
The UN independent fact-finding mission on Libya expressed “deep concern” over the war-torn North African country’s deteriorating human rights situation in its final report submitted to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, and said that breaches committed by both state security forces and armed groups would be relayed to the International Criminal Court.
“There are grounds to believe a wide array of war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed by state security forces and armed militia groups,” the investigators said.
Chaloka Beyani, one of three members of the UN fact-finding mission to Libya, said the EU's support for Libyan authorities that stop and detain migrants had “aided and abetted” the commission of rights violations against migrants.
“We're not saying that the EU and its member states have committed these crimes. The point is that the support given has aided and abetted the commission of the crimes,” said Ms Beyani said in Geneva on Monday.
The mission, tasked with investigating abuses in Libya since 2016, said the Libyan government was “obligated to investigate allegations of human rights violations and crimes in areas under its control in accordance with international standards”.
“We call on Libyan authorities to develop a human rights plan of action and a comprehensive, victim-centred road map on transitional justice without delay, and hold all those responsible for human rights violations accountable,” said Mohamed Auajjar, the mission’s chairman.
The three-member panel said there was a widespread effort by Libyan authorities to repress civil society.
“Attacks against inter alia human rights defenders, women rights activists, journalists, and civil society associations have created an atmosphere of fear that has sent persons into self-censorship, hiding or exile at a time that it is necessary to build an atmosphere that is conducive to free and fair elections for Libyans to exercise their right to self-determination and choose a representative government to run the country,” the report said.
The UN mission urged the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a “distinct and autonomous mechanism with a continuing mandate to monitor and report on gross human rights violations with a view to support Libyan reconciliation efforts and assist the Libyan authorities in achieving transitional justice and accountability.”
The fact-finding mission on Libya undertook 13 missions, conducted more than 400 interviews, and collected more than 2,800 items of information, including photographic and audiovisual imagery.
Reuters contributed to this report
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
