TRIPOLI: A Libyan military court on Wednesday ordered the execution of five army officers, who were being tried in absentia, on charges of indiscriminate shelling of civilians and of rape during the 2011 conflict.
The court in the eastern city of Benghazi also handed down 10-year prison terms to three soldiers charged with rape, who were present at the hearing, the official LANA news agency reported.
Col. Gaith Isbaa, Col. Saad Abdel Rahman, Lt. Col. Altaher Mohammed, Captain Khaled Al-Akremi and First Lt. Mohammed Mohammed were condemned to death by firing squad.
This is the first time a court has issues the death penalty since the NATO-backed rebel uprising that toppled veteran dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
Rights organizations maintain that Libya’s justice system is in urgent need of reform, with thousands of detainees held without process. Only a handful of Qaddafi-era officials are currently being tried in civilian courts.
Libya court condemns 5 army officers to death in absentia
Libya court condemns 5 army officers to death in absentia
Pro-Palestinian flotilla announces new mission to Gaza
- Israel controls Gaza's borders and scrutinises all aid coming into the territory
TUNIS: A flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists who attempted to reach Gaza last year will set sail for the besieged territory again next month, one member told AFP on Friday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said the new mission set for March 29 would be "the largest coordinated humanitarian intervention for Palestine in history" and will mobilise "thousands from over 100 countries".
"We will be sailing from Barcelona, Tunis, Italy and many other ports not yet made public," Brazilian activist Thiago Avila told AFP.
The group said an overland convoy would also leave for Gaza on the same day, without specifying from where.
The campaigners sought to break an Israeli blockade by delivering aid to Gaza by sea last October, before they were intercepted by Israel, detained and deported.
Israel controls Gaza's borders and scrutinises all aid coming into the territory.
The activists describe their actions as a "non-violent response to genocide, siege, mass starvation, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza".
