ICC: Libya will be top priority in 2017

The International Criminal Court is committed to making Libya a priority next year and expanding investigations, potentially including alleged serious crimes by the extremist Islamic State group and its affiliates, the prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Fatou Bensouda told the UN Security Council that her commitment is the result of a number of factors: widespread violence, lawlessness and impunity in many areas, a desire to provide justice for victims, and alleviating the suffering of civilians “who continue to endure the tragic consequences of the conflict in Libya.”
She said her office intends to apply for new arrest warrants “under seal as soon as practicable and hopes to have new arrest warrants served in the near future.”
Bensouda said the ICC also intends to study the feasibility of opening an investigation into alleged criminal acts against refugees and migrants in Libya, “including any alleged acts of sexual violence or crimes against children” that come under the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC is already engaging with agencies investigating individuals involved in organized crime and facilitating and financing illegal migration through Libya, she said.