•  united nations
• Monday, February 28, 2011
• Inter Press Service

The 15-member U.N. Security Council Saturday unanimously decided to impose economic and military sanctions on Libya and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to pursue charges of war crimes against Libyan leader Muammar el-Gaddafi, members of his family, and 16 of his political and military advisers.

The widespread condemnation of continued military atrocities against civilian demonstrators in Libya over the past week is also paving the way for the expulsion of Libya from the 47-member Human Rights Council. The 192-member U.N. General Assembly, which is mandated to elect members of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council (HRC), is expected to meet this week to call for the expulsion of Libya.

If the resolution is adopted, it will be the first time a sitting member of the U.N.'s premier human rights body is drummed out of office. Asked if military intervention is a possibility, if all other measures fail, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sidestepped the question: 'It is up to member states to decide.'

But he pointed out that 'all options' are on the table. Mindful of the fact that the General Assembly needs a two- thirds majority to expel Libya from the HRC, Ban said he had strongly recommended such a course of action. All those responsible for crimes against humanity should be held accountable and 'must be punished', he told reporters Friday.

Since the violent nationwide crackdown of demonstrators last week, the Libyan regime has been strongly censured by several regional and international organisations, including the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the League of Arab States, the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

The latest censure came Friday from the HRC, which not only condemned the continued violence but also decided to set up an independent, international commission of inquiry into the killings in Libya and recommended that the General Assembly 'consider suspending Libya from the Human Rights Council'.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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