TRIPOLI: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Monday called on Libyan leaders to rein in armed militia accused of abductions and torture, and to establish the rule of law.
Amnesty said it made the appeal in a "human rights manifesto for Libya" which it submitted to the newly elected Human Rights Committee of the General National Congress (GNC), or national assembly, urging immediate action.
It said it "warned Libya's leaders that unless they rein in armed militias and bring them to account, Libya risks reproducing the same human rights violations that led to" last year's revolution that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
"Libya's political leadership, including elected members of the General National Congress, must take immediate steps to end ongoing human rights abuses and establish the rule of law," a statement said.
"Every day, we receive desperate pleas from victims of human rights abuses all over Libya asking us to intervene and protect them," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director.
"We hear of individuals being abducted by armed militias, tortured including to death, driven out of their homes and killed or injured during armed confrontations. Such practices should have vanished with the end of the Kadhafi era, but they are ongoing in a climate of impunity."
On Saturday GNC chief Mohammed al-Megaryef announced the decision to dissolve all militias that emerged during the revolution that ousted Kadhafi who do not come under state authority.
The move came a day after protesters in Benghazi, cradle of last year's uprising, rebelled against lawless militia who have been imposing their rule on the eastern city, in violence that killed at least 11 people and wounded over 70.
Libya's post-revolution authorities have been unable to disband or discipline these civilians-turned-fighters, particulary units who have refused to be placed under the authority of the defence and interior ministries.
Amnesty said its delegates who met Megaryef on Thursday "acknowledged the ongoing human rights abuses and indicated his commitment to seek to put an end to them."
The watchdog also reported that Megaryef "echoed Amnesty International's calls for the need to disarm militias, reform the security sector, and revamp the judiciary."
"It is high time for the new political leadership to translate human rights commitments into action," said Hadj Sahraoui.
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