12 Feb 2020; MEMO: Libyan families whose relatives were killed or injured during the Libyan crisis have filed lawsuits to the Washington DC District Court, against the UAE and its ally, retired Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar.
The Transnational Business Attorneys Group stated on behalf of six Libyan families, in which it said: “Prosecutors shed light on the serious violations of human rights, killings and torture in which the defendants were involved.”
The statement stated that Libyan families demand financial compensation amounting to one billion US dollars.
The statement also indicated that Haftar encouraged and participated in crimes, specifically torture, which is considered as a war crime. This inhuman behaviour violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the constitutions of the United States.
It was mentioned in the statement that the lawsuits included the UAE for supporting Haftar with money and weapons, considering the Emirati government as a partner in war crimes committed in the oil-rich country.
It is noteworthy that the Haftar forces continue to violate the truce daily in defiance of the Berlin Conference, held on 19 January, which witnessed the participation of 12 countries and four regional and international organisations.
The terms of the Berlin Conference’s final statement included the adherence to the ceasefire decision and resuming the political track to address the conflict in Libya, while Haftar forces have been launching an offensive since 4 April to control the Libyan capital against his opponent Fayez Al-Sarraj.
