The reported death of Colonel Mu'ammar Gaddafi would bring to a close a chapter of Libya's history marked by repression and abuse but does not end the story, Amnesty International said today. “The legacy of repression and abuse from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's rule will not end until there is a full accounting for the past and human rights are embedded in Libya's new institutions,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for North Africa and the Middle East at Amnesty International. “Colonel Gaddafi's death must not stop his victims in Libya from seeing justice being done. The many Libyan officials suspected of serious human rights violations committed during and before this year's uprising, including the infamous Abu Salim prison massacre in 1996, must answer for their crimes.” “The new authorities must make a complete break from the culture of abuse that Colonel Gaddafi's regime perpetuated and initiate the human rights reforms that are urgently needed in the country.” Amnesty International called on the NTC to make public information about how Colonel Gaddafi died, making the full facts available to the Libyan people. The organization said it was essential to conduct a full, independent and impartial inquiry to establish the circumstances of Colonel Gaddafi's death. Amnesty International called on the NTC to ensure that all those suspected of human rights abuses and war crimes, including Colonel Gaddafi's inner circle and family members, are treated humanely and, if captured, given fair trials. BM
