Libyan diplomat Omar Brebesh dies 'under torture'

3 February 2012

Mr Brebesh was detained on 19 January after being called in for questioning by a militia in Tripoli

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Libya Crisis

• Libya's ex-rebels reluctant to down arms
• Libya's Amazigh demand recognition
• Libya economy banks on cash for recovery
• 'Cleansed' Libyan town spills its terrible secrets

Libya's former ambassador to France has died less than 24 hours after being arrested by Tripoli-based militia, a US-based human rights group has said.

Human Rights Watch said marks on Omar Brebesh's body suggest he died as a result of torture under detention.

Mr Brebesh served under former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled after a nine-month civil war last year.

The country's interim government is under mounting pressure to prevent the abuse of thousands in custody.

Mr Brebesh was detained on 19 January after being called in for questioning by al-Shuhada Ashura militia in Tripoli, Human Rights Watch quote his son, Ziad, as saying.

A day later, his family heard his body had turned up at a hospital in Zintan, about 100km (60 miles) southwest of the capital, the rights group said.

"Photos of Brebesh's body, seen by Human Rights Watch, show welts, cuts and the apparent removal of toenails, indicating that he was tortured prior to death," the group said in a statement.

Bashir Brebesh: "Is this what we fought for? It's a disaster"

Libya's ex-rebels reluctant to down arms

7 January 2012

By Mark LowenBBC News, Libya

While former rebels in Zawiyah are training to be full-time soldiers, others are not so keen to sign up

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• Libyan militias clash in Tripoli
• Libya's long road to recovery
• Libya's oil industry improving

More than two months after the death of Col Muammar Gaddafi - and nearly five since he was removed from power - Libya's new government faces problems in securing order.

Tripoli's international airport is now a bustling little place. It is scruffy and in need of a make-over but it is a vital lifeline for Libya as it reopens for business.

Roaming the terminal floor and patrolling the runways are soldiers for whom this is their power-base.

They are ex-rebels from the town of Zintan, south-west of the capital, who captured the airport a few months ago.

'Guardians of revolution'

04/07 Libya wants volunteers to fight "Crusaders"

English.news.cn   2011-07-04 22:04:44 FeedbackPrintRSS TRIPOLI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan government called for volunteers to take up arms to fight what it described as "Crusader " forces and rebels, reported the official JANA news agency on Monday. "The general committee for the defense announces the opening of offices to register combatants, men and women, who want to fight against the Crusader forces and gangs of traitors," added the agency. NATO has been ratcheting up military pressure on the embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit. Libyan officials have continually charged that NATO airstrikes have damaged civilian facilities and killed hundreds of civilians. The most recent figures from Libya's health ministry show 856 civilians have been killed in NATO air raids since they began in March. The figure could not be independently confirmed. The world's major powers, the UK, the United States and France, on March 19 started to launch strikes from the air and sea against Gaddafi's forces after the UN Security Council passed a resolution to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and authorize "all necessary measures" to protect civilians in the North African country. NATO formally taken over full command and control of military operations against Libya from the United States on March 31. Special Report: Foreign Military Intervention in Libya Editor: Xiong Tong

Related News • Arrest warrants, weapon delivery unlikely to solve Libya crisis • Libya rebels brace for new push to Tripoli • AU offers talks on Libya transition • NATO air raid in Libya • Libya's Gaddafi threatens to attack Europe

02/07 Đại tá Gaddafi dọa tấn công châu Âu

Thứ Bảy, 02/07/2011 07:30

(NLĐO)- Nhà lãnh đạo Libya Muammar Gaddafi ngày 1-7 dọa sẽ tấn công châu Âu nếu NATO không ngừng chiến dịch không kích Libya.

Đại tá Gaddafi tuyên bố lực lượng trung thành với ông có thể đưa trận chiến tới châu Âu.

Đại tá Gaddafi tuyên bố lực lượng trung thành với ông có thể đưa trận chiến tới châu Âu

Phát biểu trước những người ủng hộ tại quảng trường tại thủ đô Tripoli,  ông Gaddafi nói: “Nếu quyết định, chúng tôi sẽ ồ ạt tấn công châu Âu. Do đó, chúng tôi cảnh cáo, NATO hãy rút lui trước khi phải đối mặt với một thảm họa”.

“Chúng tôi cũng có thể nhằm vào các mục tiêu nhà cửa, văn phòng, và những gia đình, biến tất cả chúng thành những mục tiêu quân sự như những gì họ đang làm với chúng tôi ở Libya”, ông Gaddafi tiếp tục.

Hiện ông Gaddafi đang là đối tượng truy nã của Tòa án Hình sự Quốc tế vì tội ác chống lại loài người trong suốt cuộc binh biến ở Libya. 
Ngày 1-7 diễn ra một cuộc tuần hành lớn ở Libya của những người ủng hộ ông Gaddafi, đây là một trong những cuộc tuần hành lớn nhất của lực lượng trung thành với đại tá Gaddafi trong thời gian gần đây.

Vị lãnh đạo Libya hơn 40 năm này kêu gọi những người ủng hộ tuần hành tới vùng núi phía Tây để tước bỏ toàn bộ vũ khí mà Pháp đã cung cấp cho phe nổi dậy.

Thu Hằng (Theo RIA Novosti)