NATO underplayed Libyan civilian deaths-rights group.
- 12 years ago
Libya's Majer city - one of the areas hit by NATO airstrikes during the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi last year.
New York-based Human Rights Watch claims the strikes were responsible for the deaths of 72 civilians in Libya, including 20 women and 24 children.
Human Rights Watch footage filmed in February profiles 61-year-old farmer Ali Hamid Gafez, who says his home was bombed, killing many members of his family.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALI HAMID GAFEZ, A 61-YEAR-OLD FARMER WHO WAS THE OWNER OF A HOUSE HIT BY A NATO BOMB, KILLING 14 AND WOUNDING SAYING:
"Why did they bomb me? The [NATO] forces came to fight in order to protect civilians. Because Libya is under satellite surveillance. It's right in front of them. They can see everything. So we wonder how it's possible that they could have bombed us. How could they bomb us?"
The group is calling for an investigation into these killings, saying some may be unlawful, and asked that the alliance of Western nations compensate families of victims.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FRED ABRAHAMS, SPECIAL ADVISER AT HRW, SAYING:
"Until now, NATO has taken a position of denial. They refuse to acknowledge that civilians died. They refuse to give information about how they died. And they refuse to investigate. And it's this lack of transparency that's deeply troubling. And I think it will lead to unnecessary civilian deaths in the future if NATO refuses to look at what went wrong and make corrections."
Muammar al-Jarud, who lived in a nearby compound, also lost family to NATO bombs.
He told Human Rights Watch that he lost his wife, mother, sister and daughter in one of the strikes and was wounded himself.
It's accusations like these that prompted Human Rights Watch to do its own investigation.
(SOUNDBITE (English)FRED ABRAHAMS, SPECIAL ADVISER AT HRW, SAYING"
"We have questions that NATO has not yet answered and we're calling for prompt, credible, and thorough investigations to understand why these 72 civilians died."
While accepting civilian casualties during air attacks, Nato says it's Libyan operations were carried out with unprecedented care and precision.
Jessica Gray, Reuters
New York-based Human Rights Watch claims the strikes were responsible for the deaths of 72 civilians in Libya, including 20 women and 24 children.
Human Rights Watch footage filmed in February profiles 61-year-old farmer Ali Hamid Gafez, who says his home was bombed, killing many members of his family.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALI HAMID GAFEZ, A 61-YEAR-OLD FARMER WHO WAS THE OWNER OF A HOUSE HIT BY A NATO BOMB, KILLING 14 AND WOUNDING SAYING:
"Why did they bomb me? The [NATO] forces came to fight in order to protect civilians. Because Libya is under satellite surveillance. It's right in front of them. They can see everything. So we wonder how it's possible that they could have bombed us. How could they bomb us?"
The group is calling for an investigation into these killings, saying some may be unlawful, and asked that the alliance of Western nations compensate families of victims.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FRED ABRAHAMS, SPECIAL ADVISER AT HRW, SAYING:
"Until now, NATO has taken a position of denial. They refuse to acknowledge that civilians died. They refuse to give information about how they died. And they refuse to investigate. And it's this lack of transparency that's deeply troubling. And I think it will lead to unnecessary civilian deaths in the future if NATO refuses to look at what went wrong and make corrections."
Muammar al-Jarud, who lived in a nearby compound, also lost family to NATO bombs.
He told Human Rights Watch that he lost his wife, mother, sister and daughter in one of the strikes and was wounded himself.
It's accusations like these that prompted Human Rights Watch to do its own investigation.
(SOUNDBITE (English)FRED ABRAHAMS, SPECIAL ADVISER AT HRW, SAYING"
"We have questions that NATO has not yet answered and we're calling for prompt, credible, and thorough investigations to understand why these 72 civilians died."
While accepting civilian casualties during air attacks, Nato says it's Libyan operations were carried out with unprecedented care and precision.
Jessica Gray, Reuters