UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, briefs UN Security Council members on the situation in Libya.
Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, told the Security Council today that new technologies and strategies are helping to bring justice to victims of serious human rights abuses in Libya, including new arrest warrants, but "we can do better."
Karim Khan noted that to date, the ICC has issued four arrest warrants and two others are in the process of applying; He stressed that this was a crucial step in recognizing the right of victims to justice.
"If the cases referred by the Security Council are to be heard, everyone needs to come forward," he said. Partnership is the key to justice. ”
The Security Council referred the case of Libya to the International Criminal Court in 2011, noting serious and systematic human rights violations and expressing deep concern about civilian deaths.
Tangible steps forward
Khan said the ICC has been moving forward on the path of justice since then, and he also gave an update on developments over the past six months. Among them, "tangible steps forward" included contacts with Libyan authorities and the collection of more than 500 pieces of evidence, including video and audio material, forensic information and satellite imagery.
He noted that the ICC Libya team had also further strengthened its engagement with victims and civil society organizations.
He said many of the results come from innovative efforts such as advanced technologies and new evidence management systems that his Office of the Prosecutor is harnessing, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate investigation and analysis activities.
"Technology is not a 'flash in the pan,' but is accelerating the pace at which justice is done," he said. ”
Important milestones
The ICC Prosecutor's Office engaged with Libya's internationally recognized government's Attorney General's Office, Military Prosecutors and Attorney General to determine how the ICC can further support and facilitate action in the country to hold international crimes accountable.
Khan said his team would liaise with Libyan authorities in the coming weeks and discuss a possible field office in Tripoli.
"The hope is that the Libyan authorities are increasingly supporting the principles of justice at home," he said. He promised that the prosecutor's office would work to advance accountability.
"Upholding the rights of survivors"
Karim Khan noted that at the heart of the problem are victims and survivors. Recalling his visit to Libya, he said that the meeting with survivors reflected the Council's original intention to transfer cases to the International Criminal Court.
Earlier, mass graves were discovered in the small town of Tarhunah. Khan said the victim described to him the elaborate cruelty and tragedy behind the incident, in which a man has lost 15 family members.
One woman who lost a loved one shared her experience with Karim Khan, "She said to me, 'The United Nations says well, but our lives don't matter to you'".
"If we feel we can do things better, be more imaginative, and build partnerships together, then I think this referral case that has made so much progress in the last six months can dig deeper," he said. ”
"Most importantly, we can confront the victims in places like Tarhunah, not ashamed, but feel that ultimately we are doing our best to realize their right to justice and accountability."
