•  united nations
• Thursday, June 09, 2011
• Inter Press Service

'We have information that there was a policy in Libya to rape those who were against the government' prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters Wednesday, immediately after addressing the Security Council.

It is already known, that there were cases of rape and even gang rape, he said. But the question is: was Gaddafi himself responsible for this decision.? According to the prosecutor, rape is a new aspect of repression in Libya. In the Libyan tradition it actually is 'beyond limits'. 'That’s why we doubted at the beginning, but we are now convinced that he (Gaddafi) punishes using rape (as a weapon)', the prosecutor said. The ICC’s investigations also revealed new evidence confirming the supply of male sex enhancement drugs like Viagra. 'They (the Gaddafi-regime) were buying containers to enhance the possibility (of promoting) the rape of women,. We are trying to see who was involved, ' Moreno-Ocampo said. Up to know, Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah Senussi — Muammar Gaddafi’s brother-in-law — are already accused of two crimes, which include shooting of civilians during demonstrations and the crime of persecution, including arresting, torturing and forced disappearance of government opponents.

At the moment, the ICC’s judges are evaluating the evidence before making a decision.

Regarding Sudan, Moreno-Ocampo highlighted the trial against the rebel commanders, who led the attack against UN peacekeepers in Haskanita base. During this September 2007 attack, twelve peacekeepers died and eight others were injured.

On 7 March of this year, the ICC has confirmed war crime charges against the two leading commanders Abdallah Banda and Saleh Jerbo. 'This case shows the court’s impartiality and also its commitment to protecting peacekeeping forces,' Moreno-Ocampo said. The situation in Sudan is unchanged, in terms of the crimes President Omar al-Bashir is accused of. 'On the contrary, what we see during the last six months is that genocide continues,' he said.

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

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