Human rights activist submits bulky complaint to US government against Libyan strongman Haftar

The Libyan activist and member of the Libyan American Public Affairs Council (LAPAC) Emadeddin Zahri Muntasser has filed a request to the US government in WASHINGTON, D.C. to investigate the American citizen and Libyan eastern commander of Operation Dignity Khalifa Haftar for war crimes.

Muntasser explained on his Facebook page on Monday that he met with US government officials on October 10, 2017 and submitted a formal complaint and a request for investigation regarding alleged war and financial crimes committed in Libya by US citizens (Haftar).

The complaint alleges war crimes and other violations of US domestic laws committed by Khalifa Haftar and his sons.

According to Muntasser, the complaint is made up from three volumes of more than three hundred pages, and it lists the specific legal statutes which were violated, legal analysis, biographies of the alleged perpetrators, and catalogs.

“It is an overwhelming inventory of evidence of these war crimes committed by Haftar in Libya.” Muntasser added.

He also said that it includes domestic explanation of US laws that have allegedly been violated by Khalifa Haftar, Saddam Haftar, Khalid Haftar, and Alsadiq Haftar, including the Neutrality Act (18 U.S. Code § 960), enlistment in foreign service as officers (18 U.S. Code § 959), and laws prohibiting committing war crimes (18 U.S. Code § 2441), genocide (18 U.S. Code §1091), and torture (18 U.S. Code § 2340A).

“My request for a grand jury criminal investigation is not without precedent. In the United States of America Vs. Roy M. Belfast, Jr, a/k/a “Chuckie Taylor”, a war criminal was sentenced by a US court to 97 years of imprisonment for “committing numerous acts of torture and other atrocities in Liberia between 1999 and 2003.” Mr. Taylor committed many of the same crimes that Khalifa Haftar and his sons have committed but with a few important differences: The Haftar crimes are more egregious, wide spread, encompass war crimes, and have affected many more victims.” Muntasser wrote in the compliant.

He further explained that the complaint is the first step in a multi-pronged legal action against war criminals in the US, adding that It is imperative that witnesses and victims cooperate with US Federal officials and provide testimony, information, and evidence in order for justice to take its course.