In investigations of the NATO-backed National Transitional Council (NTC) in Libya, Amnesty International has found the group is holding more than 2,500 detainees in makeshift prisons without charges in the wake of their conquest of much of western Libya.
To make matters worse, the detainees are subjected to virtually daily beatings, with guards admitting that they use savage beatings in an effort to get faster “confessions” out of the people there are holding.
Amnesty warned that the NTC risked doing serious harm to their reputation if they did not abandon the practices of arbitrary detention and torture, which seems unlikely since most of the detainees are held not by the national NTC but by its assorted local allies.
For the NTC fighters in many of these cities, the detentions are part of a broad campaign of revenge against those perceived to be opposed to their rebellion. In many cases this has included black migrant workers, as past reports have the NTC arresting black people entirely on the basis of their skin color, taking that as evidence they were mercenaries.
Another report, from Human Rights Watch, also warned NTC forces against targeting civilians in the attack on Sirte. They also urged them to respect the law with respect to the massive number of detainees the city’s conquest is sure to lead to.
Must be taking lessons from the US Military!
To Amensty International.., do they – NTC have any reputation or for that matter a good one to start with.., your warnings are empty word as US and NATO militarism regime been for years in implementing "democracy" here and there.., what people got been a war after another one.., so stop fooling people by pretanding that you are doing something good for humanity. if that is the case then why you havent filed a case against NTC in ICC suing NTC and US and NATO or for that matter the Saudis and UAE for supporting terrorist groups in Libya and eleswhere.
Yes, they do, Jamal. Whether you believe it or not, Amnesty International has done a lot of good around the world. And they continue to do so. It's sad that you so-called Lefties are every bit as vicious in your attacks as the Righties. More proof that y'all are one and the same only standing on different sides of the same street.
I would LOVE to agree with you, but cannot. Amnesty International is every bit an arm of US and NATO foreign policy, albeit with different role. The organization is SILENT on many attrocious abuses of human rights, but then it takes issues with others. One is tempted to be grateful for whatever kindness Amnesty shows to the masses of voiceless suffering masses. But in this, by the day more cruel world, I am not about to give Amnesty much credit. They are going to talk about the abuses of Libyan "rebels", people nobody heard off before they pulled guns on the regime. How touching. Except that this is the way for NATO to deflect the blame for the massacre of civilians by round of clock bombing, and by thugs we promoted to power. And Amnesty will have the role to then target some of those "rebels", so that the "justice" will prevail in NATO theater — when in fact, targeted will be those who are likely to be a pain in the neck to upcoming colonial coreography by the arrogant Western powers.
One can have nothing but contempt for these 'human rights' groups.
My word one can see now the real and blatant political agendas these so-called 'independent' groups actually have.
Clearly some humans have greater rights than others according to the victims and the perpetrators and the politics involved.
If its Gaddaffi then its everything that was evil to suit the rights group's western and NATO paymasters.
But if its anti Gaddaffi – all is excused – its 'revenge'.
Revenge for what one may ask.
For having iived in the most properous nation in Africa which Gaddaffi pulled up out of the regional cesspit.
For not having a sufficiently islamic government which would put women in veils and refuse them education.
Sickening. Bucket please.
Oh, goodie. Now Libya sounds just exactly like it was under Qaddafi.