According to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, there were eight mass graves that were discovered in the country. The UNSMIL tweeted the news and expressed their horror over the discovery, and the majority of the mass graves are in Tarhuna.
Newly discovered graves
The Government of National Accord or GNA, a humanitarian group for Libya that is affiliated with the United Nations, took over Tarhuna last week.
The GNA was able to take over after pushing back the forces that were led by general Khalifa Haftar. The town was previously occupied by Libya National Army or LNA forces that are connected to Haftar. Tarhuna was also under the control of the militia called Kaniyat, which is an ally if Haftar.
In 2019, Kaniyat took over Tarhuna, and the militia has been accused of committing crimes in the city for years. The Government of National Accord has promised the public and the United Nations that they will investigate the newly discovered mass graves.
The Minister of Interior Fathi Basghagha said in a statement on June 18 that they discovered the graves and are now documenting the crimes committed by Kaniyat that controlled the Tarhuna. They also state that they found a container wherein detainees were burned. They also found mass graves where dozens of people were buried alive.
Tarhuna is the last stronghold by Haftar's forces in Libya, and the city has been critical of Haftar's forces and for their assaults on Tripoli. The UNSMIL stated that the Libyan Justice Minister will create a committee to investigate the mass graves.
The statement added that they wanted the members to work together to secure the mass graves, identify all of the victims discovered, documenting all the cause of death, and returning the corpses to their families.
The US Embassy in Libya tweeted on June 18, in response to the discovery, and stated that they share the horror that the UNSMIL had felt after digging up the mass graves and they are supporting all efforts that are being done by the Libyan authorities and international authorities to investigate the incident and bring the suspects of the crime to justice.
In 2019, the Libyan conflict has grown into a war between foreign fighters and powers. While the GNA is being supported by Turkey, the eastern government that is based in Benghazi is supported by the UAE, Russia, and Egypt.
Documenting the victims
The Human Rights Watch or HRW has called for an international investigation into the killings. Hanan Salah, the senior Libyan researcher at HRW, stated that Haftar groups have been operating in Tarhuna and other cities for 15 months, and foreigners backed them up and shielded them from being accountable for their abuses, which includes killings, torture, and disappearances.
Salah added that it is time for the United National Human Rights Council to establish an international investigation. She also called on the government in Tripoli to make sure that evidence on the sites is protected from tampering and to invite neutral international forensic experts to the discovered mass graves.
