LIBYA: Kadafi to face investigation for crimes against humanity

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The International Criminal Court in The Hague will formally investigate the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi for crimes against humanity in the repression of peaceful protesters, the court’s prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Wednesday.

“Following a preliminary examination of available information, the prosecutor has reached the conclusion that an investigation is warranted,” said a statement from Moreno-Ocampo’s office.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council asked the prosecutor to look into the violent repression in which more than 1,000 people are reported to have been killed, and many more injured, when government supporters allegedly opened fire on peaceful civilians demanding Kadafi’s ouster, the prosecutor’s office said.

Moreno-Ocampo on Thursday will present at a news conference in The Hague an overview of the suspect incidents in Libya since Feb. 15 and provide information on the entities and people who could be prosecuted, his office said.

After his investigation the prosecutor will present his case to International Criminal Court judges, who will decide whether to issue arrest warrants based on the evidence, the prosecutor’s office said.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir is the sole sitting head of state to have been indicted by the International Criminal Court. Bashir was charged in March 2009 with war crimes in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.

News of the criminal investigation of Kadafi’s regime came a day after the U.N. General Assembly suspended Libya from the U.N. Human Rights Council for “gross and systematic” human rights violations involving the brutal repression of peaceful protesters demanding his expulsion.

“We must show unity and resolve in our determination to promote the fundamental values of the [UN] Charter,” Joseph Deiss, president of the General Assembly, told representatives Tuesday. “This is our duty to all the men and women who are hoping and struggling to have their rights respected and who, today, are running the greatest risks. Their hopes must not be dashed.”

--Ann M. Simmons