Human rights organizations in Libya on Saturday welcomed the International Criminal Court's move to issue arrest warrants for suspects allegedly involved in international crimes in Libya.
In a joint statement, the three organizations, namely, Libya Crimes Watch, Defender Centre For Human Rights, and Lawyers For Justice In Libya lauded the decision and said it promotes the course of justice in the country.
"These developments represent a first step towards achieving accountability and reparation for victims."
They called for concrete measures to bring those accused to trial, as "the arrest warrants alone do not bring justice to the victims."
The organizations urged the international community to support the ICC's efforts by detaining and referring wanted suspects under the jurisdiction of states and by calling on the Libyan authorities to follow suit.
Disclosing the names of those arrested is necessary to ensure transparency and restore the public's confidence in the court's procedures, the group stated.
Prosecutor Karim Khan of the ICC announced last Thursday that the judges at the court had issued four new arrest warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya, saying that this was "only a first step."
