Thirty international organizations called on Tuesday for the European Union (EU) to “freeze funding” to Libya, following the discovery of a mass grave in the far southeast of the country.
In a statement, international organizations such as CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Human Rights Watch, Sea-Watch and Society Rights in Greece, and the Egyptian Human Rights Forum wrote, “In light of the new discoveries, and the report published by the European Court of Auditors last year, which indicated that EU funding to Libya failed in the face of human rights risks, the European Union must take action in Libya.”
The signatories recalled that the European Commission recently announced that it had taken steps to review funding agreements with Tunisia, following the revelation of human rights violations committed by Tunisian security forces, and called on it to do the same with its neighbor Libya.
They pointed out that “it is clear that funding provided by the European Union, as well as by member states including Italy and France, to Libya has not achieved its goal of improving the living conditions of those seeking safety.”
“The funds allocated for this funding should instead be used to save lives and provide alternatives to the dangerous journeys undertaken by those fleeing Libya by opening safe passage routes,” they added.
Libya’s Attorney General announced on 9 February that the bodies of dozens of immigrants had been found in a mass grave near an “illegal” detention centre that was raided in Al-Kufra area, where 76 migrants were found in poor conditions.
