Kuwait applauds ICC efforts to ensure justice in troubled Libya

NEW YORK, May 10 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait has acclaimed the International Criminal Court (ICC) efforts to bring criminals to justice in troubled Libya.
Talal Al-Fassam, the Kuwaiti permanent mission at the United Nations' acting charge d'affaires, lauded in particular the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) for tracking down offenders and criminals in Libya, in spite of unstable security.
The OTP personnel have pursued their mission in the shadow of arms proliferation, terrorist groups and militias, Al-Fassam said, expressing concern at escalated armed warfares in the troubled nation, particularly in Tripoli, Benghazi, Sabha and Darna.
Al-Fassam, addressing a session by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Libya, voiced concern due to information reaching the court general prosecutor about crimes, such as abduction, execution of civilians, military personnel and members of warring parties.
These crimes have claimed lives of Misrata Mayor Mohamad Eshtewi and emigrants, he said, condemning in the strongest terms these criminal acts that violated international laws and noting that the largest part of the responsibility to restore security to the nation hinged on shoulders of the Libyan authorities.
Eshtewi was kidnapped and killed in Misrata in 2017. Unknown gunmen had shot him dead him after chasing his car and kidnapping him. The Kuwaiti diplomat also underlined the judicial jurisdictions of the Libyan authorities, urging the ICC to take into considering the Libyans' judicial sovereignty.
He however noted that the ICC tasks are complementary to the Libyan national judicial powers according to Provision One of the ICC Rome Statute, and lauded "the substantial cooperation" on part of the Libyan authorities for the ICC and the general prosecution, in line with the UNSC Resolution 2174.
The UNSC resolution, passed in 2014, condemned violence against civilians and called for accountability.
The State of Kuwait, he declares further, affirms that the international community must offer further support for the Libyan Government and empower it to hammer out a full-scale strategy for clamping down on ugly crimes perpetrated in Libya.
Aware of the enormous security challenges in Libya obstructing the ICC personnel to conduct investigations, the State of Kuwait welcomes the March field mission by the ICC prosecution team, after five years of absence. (end) asf.rk