Aid groups concerned over torture in Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Libyan authorities at various levels are called on to ensure detainees are in government custody and secured in suitable facilities, the ICRC said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said "thousands" of people are imprisoned in Libya, adding the situation in the country is "complex and challenging." Authorities at all levels, however, should ensure any detainees are in the hands of the Libyan Ministry of Justice and held in suitable facilities.

"While we remain committed to addressing any issues in a bilateral manner with those in charge, the current situation in Libya has confirmed that our work is needed in places of detention," George Comninos, ICRC's head of delegation in Tripoli, said.

International aid group Doctors Without Borders pulled out of the Libyan city of Misurata in January because of concerns about detainee treatment.

Amnesty International, in a briefing published Thursday, said its representatives observed signs that detainees were tortured at 10 of the 11 detention facilities they visited this year. The group blamed armed militias for widespread human rights abuses in the country.

"Militias in Libya are largely out of control and the blanket impunity they enjoy only encourages further abuses and perpetuates instability and insecurity," Donatella Rovera, a senior adviser at Amnesty International, said in a statement.