UN council to examine abuses in Libya
The Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Friday to discuss human rights violations in Libya.
“It is the first time a member of the council will be the subject of a special session,” a council spokesman said. Libya became a member of the UN rights body last year.
The meeting was agreed following intense negotiations, initiated by the European Union, among council members on Tuesday night.
A special session of the council requires the agreement of 16 member countries. Switzerland, which is one of the 47 members of the body, supported the initiative, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on Tuesday condemned the use of violence against peaceful protesters in Libya, called for an international investigation into reported “widespread and systematic” attacks and supported the notion of a special session of the council.
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