The US will not intervene in lawsuits against Haftar

“After claims filed by his foundation at the US State Department and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, the US government refused to intervene in favour of Khalifa Haftar in the cases filed against him at the East Virginia Federal Court,” Said Emad Addin Al-Muntasser, Head of the Foundation for Democracy and Human Rights.

“The Ministry has also refrained from expressing an opinion that Haftar would be immune or that his US prosecution would have an impact on the conduct of the political dialogue and the ceasefire agreement in Libya,” he added.

He continued by adding that they have made it very clear that Haftar “Represents the biggest obstacle to peace and stability in Libya and was never a tool of reconciliation. Accepting to grant his immunity, which he asked for, would adversely affect the reputation of the State Department and the US position on freedom and human rights issues.”

Asked about the importance of this step and the US federal court’s decision not to intervene, Al-Muntasser said: “What happened is considered a great success for the Libyan and Arab civil political and human rights work in America, confirming that the Arab community there can tackle the ongoing systematic campaign supported by the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which aims at mobilizing American support for its repressive and subversive policies.”

The Libyan American Alliance was launched early in 2019, with members announcing that four Libyan families have filed against Haftar for war crimes and human rights violations committed during his offensive on the country’s capital of Tripoli.

The Victims’ attorney stated the US government’s stance is a huge political victory for the victims and the LAA and a clear indicator that administration of incoming president Joe Biden will be supportive of democracy and human rights as well as building a civil state in Libya.