Geneva (AP) – The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed grave concerns following the discovery of numerous bodies, charred burials, and many corpses located in hospital refrigerators within areas of Libya’s capital controlled by armed militias. The militia leader was killed last month.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated he was deeply troubled by the findings, which highlighted serious violations of state rights at a detention facility in Tripoli operated by the Stabilization Support Bureau (SSA), led by Commander Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, who was killed in the militia conflict in mid-May.
The Rights Bureau reported obtaining information regarding the exhumation of 10 charred bodies at SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim district, along with an additional 67 bodies discovered in the refrigerators of hospitals in Abu Salim and Al-Qadra. A burial site at the Tripoli Zoo, managed by the SSA, was also mentioned in the report.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.
“Our deepest fears have been realized. Dozens of bodies have been uncovered in these locations, alongside evidence suggesting potential torture and abuse, as well as indicators of extrajudicial killings,” Türk stated in a release.
Türk called upon authorities to secure the area to preserve the evidence and emphasized the crucial need for accountability regarding the killings. He also urged that the UN be granted access to the site to document these violations.
Source: apnews.com