US Treasury Department sanctions Libyan ICC-wanted criminal for human rights abuse

BY Libyan Express Dec 11, 2019 - 14:36

Al-Werfalli is wanted for the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the summary executions of at least 33 persons in seven incidents. [Photo: Social Media]

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday announced imposing sanctions on Mahmoud Al-Werfalli, who is a commander at Khalifa Haftar’s Saiqa Force, for committing “serious human rights abuse.”

“Since 2016, al-Warfalli has carried out or ordered the killings of 43 unarmed detainees in eight separate incidents. Many of these killings were filmed and published on social media,” said the US Treasury Department.

In August 2017, the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Al-Werfalli and demanded his extradition over committing war crimes in eastern Libya.

Immediately after the warrant was issued, Haftar’s general command announced that Al-Werfalli was under arrest and being investigated, although his whereabouts were unknown as he was released shortly after that.

In last February, Al-Werfalli announced that he would surrender himself to the Haftar’s forces military police, which didn’t happen.

The ICC issued a second arrest for al-Werfalli in July and asked for his surrender by eastern Libyan authorities linked to Haftar.

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