PRESS RELEASE
27 NGOs to Launch Campaign to Suspend Libya
Geneva, September 15 — Bob Monetti of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, whose 20-year-old son was murdered in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, will tomorrow be one of several victims of Libyan human rights violations addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, to protest the Qaddafi government’s new membership on the controversial 47-nation body. Monetti will be representing the Lockerbie Victims Association.
In tandem, a global coalition of 27 human rights groups, led by the Geneva-based UN Watch, will launch a campaign calling on U.N. member states to remove Libya from the council under a clause allowing for suspension of countries that commit systematic violations of human rights (see embargoed text below).
The government of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi took its seat on the council for the first time this week, in a 3-week session that concludes on October 1st. This will allow Libya to influence the definition of women’s rights, mandates on freedom of speech and religion, and an expected two resolutions on Israel. The council was created in 2006 to replace the discredited Human Rights Commission, which earned scorn when Libya was elected as chair in 2003.
Also presenting tomorrow will be Mohamed Eljahmi, brother of the late Fathi Eljahmi, one of Libya’s most well-known political prisoners and torture victims; Kristyana Valcheva, one of the five Bulgarian nurses who were framed, imprisoned and tortured for eight years on false charges of poisoning children with HIV; and Ashraf El-Hajouj, the Palestinian doctor framed and tortured together with the nurses.
Embargoed Until Thursday, September 16, 2010, at 12:00 am EST
Global NGO Campaign to Remove Libya
from the UN Human Rights Council
The election of the Libyan Arab Jamahariya to the United Nations Human Rights Council is an outrage to the global human rights community. Given its notorious record as one of the world’s worst violators of human rights, the Qaddafi regime’s membership on the Council flies in the face of the United Nations’ promise, enshrined in Resolution 60/251 (2006), to elect member states that are committed to the promotion and protection of human rights.
As a global coalition of non-governmental organizations dedicated to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we refuse to remain silent. We call on the international community to invoke Article 8 of the aforementioned resolution, which provides for the suspension of membership of states that commit systematic violations of human rights, unless and until the Qaddafi regime:
· Ends its systematic violation of the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to equality, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to free political organization;
· Ends its practices of arbitrary arrest, torture, and discrimination against minorities, in particular, the persecution of two million black African migrants;
· Acknowledges its crimes committed against the six medical workers, who were framed in 1998 under false charges of poisoning children with HIV, and then imprisoned, tortured, and sentenced to death row; apologizes; and provides full compensation to the six victims;
· Acknowledges its crimes in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and ceases to celebrate the convicted Libyan agent who was released from prison last year;
· Agrees to an international, independent investigation into the imprisonment and torture of Libyan human rights activist and dissident Fathi Eljahmi, resulting finally in his death in 2009; and
· Agrees to an international, independent investigation into the massacre of an estimated 1200 prisoners of the Abu Salim prison.
Dr. Mohamed M. Bugaighis
American Libyan Freedom Alliance
Franck Kamunga
Droits Humains Sans Frontieres
Bart Woord
International Federation of Liberal Youth
Khaled Ghawi
Association of Libya Imal / Libya Future
Mamadi Kaba
African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights (Raddho-Guinee)
Amina Bouayach
Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH)
Mike Gesa Munabi
Students for Global Democracy Uganda
Gibreil I. M. Hamid
Darfur Peace and Development Center
Dr. Theodor Rathgeber
Forum Human Rights, Germany
Hillel C. Neuer
United Nations Watch, Switzerland
Siaka Coulibaly
Burkina Faso Civil Society Organizations Network for Development
Tilder Kumichii Ndichia
Gender Empowerment and Development
Kok Ksor
The Montagnard Foundation
Ulrich Delius
Society for Threatened Peoples, Germany
Harris O. Schoenberg
UN Reform Advocates
María José Zamora Solórzano
Movimiento por Nicaragua
Sister Catherine C. Waters
Catholic International Education Office (OIEC)
Sylvia G. Iriondo
Mothers & Women Against Repression
Mrs. C. Gautam
Nepal International Consumers Union
Logan Maurer
International Christian Concern
Obinna Egbuka
Youth Enhancement Organization, Nigeria
Virginia S. Mueller
International Association of Women Lawyers
Dickson Mugendi David Ntwiga
Solidarity House International
Robert Triozzi
Chief, FRDP
Klaus Netter
Main Representative, CBJO
Armand Azoulai
Main Representative, BBI
Dr. Marlette Black
International Presentation Association
