Libya: Attacks Against Misratah Residents Point To War Crimes

[Turborama]

Source: Amnesty International



May 5 2011

Attacks by forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi on civilian and residential areas of Misratah may amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said today in a new report on the bleak situation in the besieged city.

Misratah: Under Siege and Under Fire accuses al-Gaddafi forces of unlawful killing of civilians due to indiscriminate attacks, including use of heavy artillery, rockets and cluster bombs in civilian areas and sniper fire against residents.

It also documents systematic shooting at peaceful protesters and enforced disappearance of perceived opponents, which can amount to crimes against humanity.

"The scale of the relentless attacks that we have seen by al-Gaddafi forces to intimidate the residents of Misratah for more than two months is truly horrifying," said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International's senior adviser currently in Libya.

"It shows a total disregard for the lives of ordinary people and is in clear breach of international humanitarian law."

Amnesty International called on the Tripoli authorities to put an immediate end to indiscriminate attacks and direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects.

Since Misratah declared its allegiance to opposition forces in February, al-Gaddafi's forces have used their positions around the city and in the centre to launch relentless indiscriminate attacks into the city’s residential neighbourhoods.

Scores of residents not involved in armed confrontations have been killed and hundreds injured, many by indiscriminate 122mm Grad rockets fired from up to tens of kilometres away, and by mortars and 155mm artillery shells.

Rockets, mortars and artillery shells are designed for use against massed infantry or armour. Under international humanitarian law, none of these weapons should ever be used in populated residential areas.

Early in the morning of 14 April, a dozen residents were killed and many more were injured when several salvos of rockets rained down on the Qasr Ahmad neighbourhood of Misratah. Many of the victims were standing in a queue outside a bakery.

On 15 April, Amnesty International found evidence that mortars containing cluster submunitions were being used in residential areas, including in the city centre.

The organization said that cluster munitions, which cannot discriminate between civilians and soldiers, should never be used in any circumstances and that their use in residential areas was a flagrant violation of the international prohibition on indiscriminate attack.

Amnesty International also found that sniper fire was used by al-Gaddafi forces to target residents in areas under the control of opposition fighters, preventing them from moving around freely.

33 year-old father of three Ibrahim Ahmad al-Dernawi was shot and killed in his parents’ house, apparently by a sniper. His father told Amnesty International:

“He was holding his six-month-old son in his lap and we were talking. I suddenly heard the sound of the glass breaking but the window did not shatter. Then I saw blood pouring from my son’s face. He died instantly.”

Many residents remained trapped for weeks in areas near the front line particularly around Tripoli Street, unable to leave for fear of being shot at by snipers.

Amnesty International also found evidence suggesting the use of human shields by al-Gaddafi forces. In the Gheiran neighbourhood, south-west of the city centre, tanks were positioned next to civilian buildings, seemingly in a deliberate attempt to shield them from possible air strikes.

"Shielding" is a violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime.

Amnesty International also highlighted the plight of thousands of migrants who remain trapped at Misratah's port, now being increasingly targeted by forces loyal to Colonel al-Gaddafi as they attempt to deprive the city’s remaining residents of their last lifeline to the outside world.

On 4 May, four members of a family from Niger, including two children under two years old and their aunt and uncle, were killed in a rocket attack as they waited for evacuation from Misratah.

Amnesty International called on the international community to support the international investigations into human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in Libya, in particular the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council.

On 4 May, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the UN Security Council that he will ask ICC judges to issue arrest warrants against three individuals for crimes against humanity committed in Libya.

"The people of Misratah have had nowhere to turn for safety or support in recent months," said Donatella Rovera.

"The international community must give all possible support - financial, legal and practical - to those bodies trying to bring to justice those responsible for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Misratah and elsewhere in Libya."
Libya: Misratah - under seige and under fire

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE19/019/2011/en/4efa1e19-06c1-4609-9477-fe0f2f4e2b2a/mde190192011en.pdf">Download PDF
Date Published: 6 May 2011
Categories: Libya

Read more: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/libya-attacks-against-misratah-residents-point-war-crimes-2011-05-05

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(Note to mods: as this is a press release and I cannot find a copyright notice, I'm assuming that it's OK to post the article in its entirety)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. Are there rebels in those target areas? Or are they just taking potshots ...

... at civilian areas to make a point?

[al bupp]

3. Well, I think it's both...

While there are certainly rebels in Misrata, Grad missiles are inaccurate at long distances and probably intended mostly to terrorize the entire population. The use of cluster bombs and roof-top snipers that shoot at any movement pretty much go along w/ that theme.

The only question is, how long before someone accuses Amnesty International of being a pawn of imperialistic powers?

[joshcryer]

6. It may have started out that way, but the shelling of the port, where aid ships are docked...

...is indisputably illegal. Indisputably.

[classysassy]

2. Selective war crimes

It is criminal for Libya to bomb civilians but Israel is giving a pass when they bomb Gaza and the West Bank?.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Is it criminal for rebels to live among the non-combatant civilians

When Qaddafi's troops do it, we accuse them of using human shields. When rebels do it, is there a difference?

The rebels live in the populated areas, draw fire, then make political hay on the results. Not bad strategy.

:hi:

[joshcryer]

7. That's a mischaracterization, to be sure.

Much of the population moved to the north of Misrata while the rebels fought it out in the center. Gaddafi loyalists shelled the center at first, one could argue (though civilian casualties resulted throughout), but the shelling of the port is indisputably illegal. Aid ships are docked there, they've been trying for three weeks to evacuate Misrata of migrants that were stuck there at the port, in horrendous conditions. IOM is a UN organization, and is off limits from any attacks whatsoever, they're trying to save people (in this case those people who are not native Libyans, hundreds of migrant workers). They evacuated 800 migrants and injured in the past 24 hours and should be commended in every way for doing so under intense shelling. That alone is a war crime. Gaddafi arguably wanted to create a major humanitarian situation there so that the rebels would take blame, IOM somehow pulled it together and prevented it in a large way, we'll see if they can evacuate everyone with Gaddafi dropping mines from grad missiles (his latest tactic).

[defendandprotect]

5. If you can be "at war" with your own citizens, then it's war crimes -- but genocide is more apt --!!

[joshcryer]

8. The mines from grad missiles are the latest track, and people still defend that scum!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[classysassy]

13. Where was the out cry

when the minority gang of murderers in South Africa were killing blacks as if it was a sport?More selective out rage from western news outlets,shame on all of you enablers of the thugs that oppress people of color all over the world.Where are you going to hide when justice prevail and prevail it will.?

[RZM]

9. This is probably what would have been in store for other cities and towns

Without outside support for the rebels.

[Iterate]

10. Misratah before, Misratah with snipers, and Misratah after.

This is what Misratah did that earned Gaddafi's retribution:

Report on al-Shaykh's oldest mosques Misurata
(Arabic)
http://youtu.be/39RAMIpPPXE

or this:
Huge demonstrations in Misratah (Libya) today (Feb 26, 2011)
http://youtu.be/j_7-b_V9F9Y

This short clip is from later in the fighting:
Snipers in Misurata - Report
http://youtu.be/Ozxh5SjbN6w

And finally after the fighting was over in the central part of the city, this video was produced:
Message from Misratah...
http://youtu.be/1LLOem9lhn8

For anyone unwilling to accept the Amnesty International report, there are thousands of these video clips, many of them made on the spot from cell phone cameras. Spend the next week watching them and see how there might be truth in the Amnesty report.

[Turborama]

12. Thanks. I'm sure the ICC must be adding Amnesty's report and evidence like you've shown....

...to the large, continuously growing, archive they've already been compiling.

Have you seen this report about the impending arrest warrants, yet? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4838060#4838545">Libyan leaders face arrest on war crimes charges