Amnesty Int'l seeks Libyan rights changes

• Tweet

LONDON, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Amnesty International Monday called on Libyan leaders to get serious about human rights after generations of violations at the hands of Moammar Gadhafi.

Amnesty specifically targeted the street gangs and militias, such as the one believed to be responsible for killing a U.S. ambassador recently, as prime opponents of the rule of law.

Specifically, Amnesty said if Libyan leaders fail to rein in the militias, they risk "reproducing the same human rights violations that led to the '17 February Revolution' against Moammar Gadhafi's repressive rule last year."

The human rights group also criticized the government's legal system, where judges have let suspected Gadhafi fighters remain in jail for more than a year without a hearing.

Mohammed Magaraif, president of Libya's General National Congress, told Amnesty elected leaders are attempting to improve the nation's legal system and rein in militias.