Six Libyan families sue Haftar, UAE at a US court for war crimes

BY Libyan Express Feb 11, 2020 - 21:31

Khalifa Haftar and Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. [Photo: Social Media]

Six Libyan families sued Khalifa Haftar and the United Arab Emirates government in a federal U.S. court Monday for their alleged roles in committing war crimes in Libya.

In a lawsuit filed in the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia, the families — whose relatives were murdered, injured or faced attempted killings — are seeking $1 billion in damages, according to a news release by the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Martin F. McMahon & Associates.

“By filing the lawsuit in Washington, the plaintiffs will bring to light the serious human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings and torture which the defendants have engaged in with absolute impunity and without fear of accountability,” said the release.

Haftar is “not just a war criminal, but also a U.S. citizen with assets and family members” in the U.S. and “he can and will be held accountable for his illegal and barbaric acts,” said McMahon in the release.

Forces loyal to Haftar launched a campaign in early April last year to topple the Tripoli-based Libyan government recognized by the UN.

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