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Libya Observer
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Libya Observer
ICC confirms arrest of Khaled Al-Haishri in Germany in execution of its warrant
The Spokesman for the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fadi Al-Abdallah, confirmed that German authorities have arrested Libyan national Khaled Mohammed Ali Al-Haishri, known as 'Al-Buti,' in execution of an arrest warrant issued by the Court on July 10, 2025. Al-Abdallah told Libya Al-Ahrar TV channel that Al-Haishri is considered one of the senior officials at Mitiga Prison in Libya, where thousands of individuals were detained for extended periods during years of conflict. He added that Al-Haishri is accused of direct involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence, committed between 2015 and 2020. Al-Abdallah explained that Al-Haishri will remain in custody of the German authorities pending the completion of national procedures under Article 59 of the Rome Statute, which governs the surrender of suspects to the Court. In this context, the Libyan Crimes Watch Organization welcomed the arrest of Khaled Al-Haishri, known as 'Al-Buti,' describing it in a statement on Friday as a significant step toward holding perpetrators of serious violations in Libya accountable, and a sign that international justice can be activated in the absence of an independent and effective national judiciary. The human rights organization described the arrest as a glimmer of hope for the families of victims of the Special Deterrence Force, after years of systematic impunity. It also warned against returning Al-Haishri to Libya, citing the case of Osama Njeem, which could enable him to escape justice and undermine international accountability efforts. It called on German authorities to fully cooperate with the ICC and to surrender Al-Haishri without delay. Tags: International Criminal Court Human Rights
Libyan Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Libyan Express
German authorities detain Libyan suspect on ICC warrant
Khaled Al‑Hishri arrested over alleged crimes in Libya detention facility The International Criminal Court (ICC) has welcomed the arrest of Khaled Mohamed Ali Al‑Hishri , a senior Libyan official, by German authorities on 16 July 2025, following the issuance of a sealed arrest warrant in connection with alleged atrocities committed in Libya. Al‑Hishri, a high-ranking commander within the Special Deterrence Forces, is accused of overseeing the notorious Mitiga Prison in Tripoli, where thousands of individuals were reportedly detained in degrading and abusive conditions. Between February 2015 and early 2020, he is alleged to have played a central role in a campaign of serious violations, including murder, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. The Office of the Prosecutor submitted its request for an arrest warrant on 3 April 2025. On 10 July 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC issued the warrant, concluding that there were reasonable grounds to believe Al‑Hishri bears individual criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in or around Mitiga Prison. Al‑Hishri remains in German custody while national proceedings take place under Article 59 of the Rome Statute, pending a potential transfer to the Court's detention facility in The Hague. The ICC described the arrest as a significant milestone in its investigation into the situation in Libya — the first arrest to stem from its focused efforts on crimes committed in detention facilities. This development is part of a broader strategy grounded in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), with Libya having accepted the Court's jurisdiction through to the end of 2027. 'This arrest marks a crucial step towards justice for victims of grave crimes committed in Libyan detention centres,' the Prosecutor's Office stated. 'It reflects the determination of our unified Libya team and the courage of those who provided evidence at great personal risk.' The investigation has been led by the ICC's Unified Libya Team, under the direction of Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan, with support from the Registry and the Court's Tracking and Information Integration Section. The Office expressed its deep appreciation to the Libyan victims and witnesses whose cooperation was essential to the investigation. It also commended the German authorities for their swift and effective execution of the arrest warrant. Looking ahead, the Office reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with national governments, regional organisations, and affected communities to uphold justice for crimes falling under the Rome Statute. The arrest of Khaled Al‑Hishri is expected to mark the beginning of formal judicial proceedings in the ICC's Libya case, setting a powerful precedent in the ongoing fight against impunity for international crimes.
Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
European envoy warns Trump administration actions are hurting efforts to help abducted Ukrainian children
Reykfjord Gylfadóttir said she's now seeing evidence of that coming to pass, as the funding disruptions are adding uncertainty to these organizations' efforts. Some groups have managed to keep some tracking going. The Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health was preparing to lay off its Ukrainian staff on July 1, but last-minute private donations have granted the organization a lifeline until October. It's unclear if private donations will continue to trickle in. Reykfjord Gylfadóttir said Europe now needs to find ways to make up for lapsed funding, because understanding where children have been sent will be critical for repatriating them after the conflict ends. 'European countries will have to fund it,' said Reykfjord Gylfadóttir. 'We cannot stop tracking them and then just re-track them in the months ahead. So that has to continue.' She did not specify if there were any imminent plans for Europeans to foot the bill for the programs, but said she's working to find a way to marshal the funding to support these initiatives since they represent a hefty cost to Ukraine's allies. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Russian military has forcibly transported roughly 20,000 Ukrainian children into Russian territory. Human rights advocates have argued that Russia's actions constitute a war crime and that Moscow is looking to indoctrinate and brainwash the children. Russia has defended the transfers as humanitarian evacuations. U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court are also making the task of holding Russia to account for the abductions more difficult, Reykfjord Gylfadóttir added. 'People are afraid to work with fundamental independent courts to uphold the rules-based order and international law because they're afraid of consequences with the U.S. administration,' she said. Even though the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute treaty which created the International Criminal Court, Biden administration officials relayed information to the court, which has been investigating these abductions and other alleged Russian war crimes. The Trump administration sanctioned the International Criminal Court in February in reaction to the international tribunal's investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Those sanctions also affect U.S. organizations supporting ICC investigations. U.S. government collaboration with the ICC's Russia probes stopped with the Trump administration's announcement. Reykfjord Gylfadóttir argued securing the release of the children is an important part of the process to secure a lasting end to the war in Ukraine. 'That is a non-negotiable fundamental piece of a just peace — that is to bring those children back,' Reykfjord Gylfadóttir said.
AllAfrica
3 days ago
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Western hypocrisy gives Taliban a free hand to abuse women
The world came together last week to condemn the Taliban's repressive policies against Afghanistan's women and girls, making it clear that the one-time insurgent group's actions are not just barbaric but criminal. The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for a resolution that expressed 'deep concern' over Afghanistan's dire human rights situation. It urged the Taliban to halt the 'grave, worsening, widespread and systematic oppression' of women and girls and respect international law. This was followed by a recent International Criminal Court (ICC) announcement that it was issuing arrest warrants for Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for crimes against humanity against women and girls since the group retook power in August 2021. The decision by the pretrial chamber of the ICC to pursue Akhundzada and Haqqani was in response to a January request by prosecutor Karim Khan KC, who accused the Taliban of the severe deprivation of physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, education, private and family life and freedom of assembly of Afghan women and girls. The Taliban's abysmal treatment of women is well documented. The UN says the Taliban has 'deliberately deprived' 14.4 million girls of education. It has also banned women from working in most sectors, including for international aid agencies. This has left a generation of women and girls without agency, and many families without their previous primary breadwinner. The Taliban has also issued over 70 edicts directly targeting the rights and autonomy of women and girls, including enforcement of veil-wearing and bans on access to public parks and beauty parlors. The Taliban's policies have been referred to as 'gender apartheid' by UN experts and human rights organizations, and female suicide rates in Afghanistan have soared as a result. The Taliban attempted to sidestep the ICC in February when it announced it was withdrawing from the Rome Statute. The Taliban reiterated that stance this week, saying it did not recognize the 'so-called international court' while accusing the international community and its courts of double standards. But despite what the Taliban thinks, the court still has jurisdiction in Afghanistan after the former government acceded to the Rome Statute in 2003. This means Akhundzada and Haqqani risk arrest if they leave the country. It also opens the door for more warrants, including for Sheikh Mohammad Khalid, the head of the notorious Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice responsible for the cruel decrees against Afghan women and girls. This is a significant blow to the Taliban's quest for international legitimacy. The group thought it had a diplomatic victory earlier this month when it was formally recognized by Russia, but others will now seriously reconsider following suit because of obligations under the Rome Statute and pressure from civil society groups at home. Taliban hopes of taking Afghanistan's seat at the UN are also now unlikely, having already been denied four times since it returned to power in 2021. But when the Taliban accuses the world of hypocrisy, it has a point. While the international community has targeted the Taliban for crimes against women, it has failed to hold Israel accountable for crimes against civilians in Gaza, including an estimated 28,000 women and girls killed since October 2023. The Taliban highlighted these double standards on July 8, saying, 'It is shameful to speak of human rights, justice, and international courts while genocide is being committed in Gaza, where hundreds of innocent women and children are killed daily before the eyes of these very courts.' Many Western countries have also failed to uphold their obligations under the Rome Statute by failing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was issued an arrest warrant by the ICC last year. Earlier this month, Netanyahu flew over signatory states Greece, Italy and France on his way to Washington, and none intervened to arrest the Israeli PM or order the plane to avoid their airspace. [The US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute]. Others have gone further. In February, the US took the unprecedented step of sanctioning the ICC over its then-investigation of Israeli crimes in Gaza. The UK reportedly threatened to withdraw from the court if warrants were issued against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Australia claimed the ICC was wrongly drawing 'equivalence' between Hamas and Israel, a clear attempt to undermine the investigation and protect Israel from accountability. The double standards are obvious and add weight to claims that Western countries in particular pick and choose when international law applies, and thus undermine any attempt to hold the Taliban accountable. The group has no incentive to respect a system of law that is applied selectively and will instead stop listening to lectures and double down on its repressive policies on women. In the immediate term, Akhundzada and Haqqani will simply avoid travel outside of Afghanistan, which they rarely do anyway. Any condemnation from the international community can be batted away by pointing to the horrifying number of Palestinian women and girls killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza, and the level of impunity Netanyahu enjoys in the US and Europe. Scorned by the international community, the Taliban will instead rely increasingly on China and Russia for diplomatic support and economic deals. The group is also deepening ties with its neighbors Pakistan, India and Iran, and countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. These countries are happy to prioritize Afghanistan's strategic position in Asia over human rights, and none are signatories to the ICC. Afghan women and girls deserve support, and the Taliban should be held accountable for their crimes. But rank double standards betray the very same people the international community wants and aims to help.
Days of Palestine
3 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
ICC Rejects Israel's Plea to Cancel Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu
DayofPal— The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected a formal request by Israel to cancel arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The plea also demand ICC to suspend the court's ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories. In a decision released Wednesday, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I dismissed Israel's dual petition, submitted on May 9, 2025. The petition had sought either the withdrawal or invalidation of the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, and a halt to the Office of the Prosecutor's investigation into alleged crimes committed in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The Chamber reaffirmed the court's jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, rejecting Israel's central claim that the ICC lacks legal authority over the matter. The judges emphasized that the court's prior determinations on jurisdiction remain valid and unaltered by an April 24 ruling by the Appeals Chamber, which had remanded an earlier procedural decision back to the Pre-Trial Chamber for further consideration. 'The Appeals Chamber's judgment of 24 April 2025 cannot be interpreted as undermining the Court's jurisdiction,' the ruling stated. The Chamber also clarified that under Article 19(7) of the Rome Statute, suspension of an investigation is only applicable when a state formally challenges the admissibility of a case, not merely its jurisdiction. The judges noted that Israel had not initiated such a challenge. In addition, the court denied Israel's request to exclude the State of Palestine from submitting views in the proceedings. It ruled that no additional submissions were necessary at this stage, as sufficient information had already been provided. The ruling marks a significant reaffirmation of the ICC's authority in investigating crimes in the Palestinian territories. The court first established its jurisdiction in a February 2021 decision, recognizing Palestine as a State Party to the Rome Statute and confirming that its jurisdiction extends to Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor opened a formal investigation into the situation in Palestine on March 3, 2021. On November 21, 2024, the Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, citing reasonable grounds to believe they bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The warrants were the result of a years-long investigation into Israel's conduct in the occupied territories. Israel had challenged the court's jurisdiction under Article 19(2) of the Rome Statute on September 23, 2024, but an earlier ruling dismissing the objection was annulled by the Appeals Chamber in April 2025. That decision paved the way for the substantive judgment delivered this week. Israel, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, has consistently rejected the legitimacy of the ICC's investigation, calling it politically motivated and legally baseless. The latest ruling, however, signals that the court will continue moving forward with its examination of the situation in Palestine. Shortlink for this post:
