The International Criminal Court (ICC) unsealed arrest warrants on Friday for six men linked to a Libyan militia accused of numerous killings and crimes in the western town of Tarhunah, where mass graves were uncovered in 2020.
Since the NATO-backed uprising that overthrew dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has faced political chaos, split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by militias and foreign powers.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that evidence indicates Tarhunah residents have suffered war crimes, including murder, torture, sexual violence, and rape.
The warrants target Abdelrahim al-Kani, Makhlouf Douma, Nasser al-Lahsa, Mohammed Salheen, Abdelbari al-Shaqaqi, and Fathi al-Zinkal. Three are leaders of the Al Kaniyat militia, which controlled Tarhunah from 2015 to June 2020, while the others were security officials linked to the militia.
The warrants were initially issued in April and July 2023 but remained sealed until now. Khan expressed that making the warrants public will aid in the suspects’ arrest and surrender.
The mass graves in Tarhunah were discovered after the militia retreated following the collapse of military commander Khalifa Hifter’s attempt to take Tripoli.
The ICC relies on cooperation from its 124 member states to enforce arrest warrants. Khan noted that his office is working with Libyan authorities to ensure the suspects face justice. The ICC opened its investigation in Libya in 2011 at the request of the U.N. Security Council and has previously issued warrants for Gadhafi and his son, Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi, who remains wanted.