EU "aiding and abetting" in the murder, sexual slavery, rape and torture of migrants: UK media

A fact-finding mission by the United Nations Human Rights Council has found that the European Union (EU) has been "aiding and abetting" crimes against humanity, including the murder, torture, rape, and enslavement of migrants attempting to reach Europe from Libya, according to a report published by The Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper on March 28.

The UN Human Rights Council set up a fact-finding mission in 2020 to investigate violations and abuses of human rights from 2016 onwards. It intends to share its closing findings with the International Criminal Court, including the names of individuals who could be held responsible for abuses.

"An €800 million EU project is aiming to stop illegal migration to Europe from North Africa, and has involved funding and giving equipment and training to armed groups and delivering patrol boats to the Libyan coastguard," said the report.

"We're not saying that the EU and its member states have committed these crimes. The point is that the support given has aided and abetted the commission of the crimes," UN investigator Chaloka Beyani said on Monday, noting that the EU support to the Libyan coastguard led to violation of certain human rights, including moving migrants to unsafe areas.

"There were reasonable grounds to conclude that crimes against Libyans and migrants were widespread," the report cited the mission.

In response to the report, The EU defended itself, claiming that its work aims to relieve the suffering of migrants in Libya. "Our objective, our joint objective, is to help to improve the situation of the people stranded in Libya," said European Commission spokesman Peter Stano, adding that the EU does not fund the Libyan coast guard nor any other entity in Libya.

"There is an urgent need for accountability to end this pervasive impunity, " said Mohamed Auajjar, the head of the fact-finding mission, calling on Libyan authorities to develop a human rights plan of action and a comprehensive, victim-centered roadmap on transitional justice without delay, and hold all those responsible for human rights violations accountable.