International Court to open formal Libya probe

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 9:21 AM

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says he is opening a formal investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Libya.

The announcement is an unprecedentedly swift reaction to the violent crackdown on anti-government protests by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and his supporters.

Prosecutors often take months and sometimes years to decide whether to open an investigation into possible war crimes.

Wednesday's announcement said Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has decided to launch the investigation after a "preliminary examination of available information."



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/02/AR2011030202343.html

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edited to add this:

The rights group Human Rights Watch says it has seen no evidence of mercenaries being used in eastern Libya.


This contradicts widespread earlier reports in the international media that African soldiers had been flown in to fight rebels in the region as Muammar Gaddafi sought to keep control.

In an interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide in Libya Peter Bouckaert from Human Rights Watch said he had conducted research and found no proof of mercenaries being used.

Investigator Bouckaert, who has been in the region for two weeks, told RNW that he had been to Al Bayda after receiving reports that 156 mercenaries had been arrested there.

The town is to the east of the city Benghazi and is also in the hands of the anti Gaddafi protesters.

more:http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/hrw-no-mercenaries-eastern-libya

another report coming out now:

6,000 Dead Since Start Of Libya Unrest, Rights Group Says
Wednesday, Mar 02, 2011

PARIS (AFP)--At least 6,000 people have died since the start of the revolt against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime two weeks ago, a spokesman for the Libyan Human Rights League said Wednesday.

"Victims in the whole country were 6,000," Ali Zeidan told reporters in Paris, adding that this included 3,000 in the capital Tripoli, 2,000 in the rebel-held second city Benghazi and 1,000 in other cities.

more:http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZW20110302000202#ZW20110302000202

[Uncle Joe]

1. Good.

Thanks for the thread, maddezmom.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. ICC to launch Libya probe

Source: Al Jazeera

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said he will open a formal investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Libya.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC prosecutor, decided to launch the investigation on Wednesday after a "preliminary examination of available information."

The announcement was an unprecedentedly swift reaction to the violent crackdown on anti-government protests by Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and his supporters.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201132142735939241.html

[Alamuti Lotus]

3. 9 kids were just butchered while gathering firewood--any interest from the ICC there?

[maddezmom]

4. Press conference on now...Al Jaz carrying it as well as CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/

Ocampo says they will be impartial and both sides will be investigated.