UN rights body mulls condemning, suspending Libya

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

UN rights body mulls condemning, suspending Libya
The Associated Press
Friday, February 25, 2011; 3:32 AM

GENEVA -- The U.N.'s top human rights body is preparing to hold an emergency meeting on Libya to decide whether to condemn and ostracize the North African country for its crackdown on anti-government protesters.

It is the first time that the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council has held a special session to scrutinize one of its members.

European nations are leading an effort in Geneva Friday to condemn the government crackdown, order a U.N.-led investigation and propose suspending Libya from the council.

Observers say African and Asian nations are wary of setting too strong a precedent that could be used against other human rights abusing regimes in future.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022500827.html

[maddezmom]

1. UN rights boss demands action to halt Libya crimes

UN rights boss demands action to halt Libya crimes
Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:58am GMT
Print | Single Page<-> Text <+> * Navi Pillay denounces atrocities, calls for action
* Says thousands may have been killed or injured


GENEVA, Feb 25 (Reuters) -The United Nations human rights chief on Friday denounced mass killings by Libyan forces using tanks and helicopters and called on the international community to stop the bloodshed.

Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said thousands of people may have been killed or injured in the mounting violence against anti-government protesters, many by shots to the head or chest.

She was addressing an emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council convened in Geneva to examine the grave situation in the North African country, whose leader Muammar Gaddafi is clinging to power.

"In brazen and continuing breach of international law, the crackdown in Libya on peaceful demonstrations is escalating alarmingly with reported mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of protesters," Pillay told the forum.

more:http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE71O0JI20110225

[pampango]

2. UN rights body urges Libya action

http://english.aljazeera.net//news/europe/2011/02/201122592849729302.html

The United Nation's top human rights official says reports of mass killings in Libya should spur world leaders to "step in vigorously" to end the violent crackdown in Libya, and that the 47-nation body should use "all means possible". Friday's session is the first time that the UN Human Rights Council has held a special session to discuss actions against one of its members, with Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner on Human Right, giving support for an independent panel to investigate the alleged abuses by Libyan security forces.

"Today's brutal and shocking situation is the direct outcome of a callous disregard for the rights and freedom of Libyans that has marked the almost four-decade long grip on power by the current ruler," she said. Her comments came just hours before a UN Security Council in New York meeting that will consider actions against the government of Muammar Gaddafi, which could include sanctions.

China and Russia, traditionally reluctant to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, have supported a statement from the security council issued on Tuesday that condemned "the repression against peaceful demonstrators,'' and demanded an "immediate end to the violence".

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato's secretary general, has already said the military alliance had no intention of intervening in the north African nation, and had not received any requests to do so. He said that priority must be given to evacuation and humanitarian assistance, and that NATO could act as an "enabler and coordinator" if individual member states wished to take action.