Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) participated in the 24th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, held in The Hague during the first week of December 2025. LCW joined the session as part of a three-day advocacy mission aimed at supporting calls for the continuation of the Court’s investigations in Libya, pressing the Libyan authorities to cooperate and surrender ICC suspects, and advocating for the issuance of additional arrest warrants against individuals implicated in international crimes. During the mission, the LCW delegation took part in a series of key events and meetings aimed at raising the awareness of States Parties, strengthening cooperation with the Court, and conveying the voices of victims and affected communities.
On 2 December, LCW, in cooperation with its international and local partners, including the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL), and Refugees in Libya (RiL), during which Ahmed Mustafa, LCW’s Head of Documentation, addressed the ongoing challenges to accountability, including entrenched impunity, grave violations, the weak organised a side event titled: “Cooperation to Advance Justice for Victims: The ICC in the Libya Situation.” LCW participated as a main speaker, where Ahmed Mustafa, LCW’s Head of Documentation, addressed the ongoing challenges to accountability, including entrenched impunity, grave violations, the weak cooperation of Libyan authorities with the Court, and the misapplication of the complementarity principle, which continues to impede the surrender of suspects. He also highlighted structural shortcomings within the national judiciary that undermine the possibility of effective domestic proceedings for international crimes.
On the same day, LCW participated in the General Debate of the session, attended by delegations of States Parties. Nour Khalifa, LCW’s Communications and Outreach Officer, delivered an intervention focusing on the core messages of the campaign, including the persistence of serious violations in Libya and the continued lack of cooperation with the Court. She stressed the need for States Parties and the ICC to use all available tools of pressure to ensure the surrender of suspects, issue additional arrest warrants, and reconsider the application of complementarity in the Libyan context. She emphasised that the ICC remains the last resort for victims after years of the absence of any effective national accountability mechanism.
On 3 December, Anas Helal, LCW’s Programmes Officer, delivered an intervention during the first session of its kind dedicated to discussing issues of non-cooperation. The session focused on ways to prevent States Parties from failing to comply with their obligations towards the Court. LCW’s representative underscored that the continued refusal of Libyan authorities to surrender ICC suspects, despite having accepted the Court’s jurisdiction, constitutes a major obstacle to justice in Libya and requires increased pressure by the Court and States Parties to ensure full cooperation.
On the same day, the Court invited LCW’s delegation to attend the initial appearance of Khaled Al-Hishri (“Al-Buti”) before the ICC, following his surrender by German authorities. He is the first Libyan suspect to appear before the Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, an important milestone in the pursuit of justice in Libya.
On the sidelines of the advocacy mission, LCW held multiple meetings with ICC offices, its international partners, and representatives of States Parties, including the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) and the Victims Participation and Reparations Section (VPRS). The meetings focused on highlighting the ongoing violations in Libya, their direct impact on victims, and the importance of ensuring that victims’ voices remain central at all stages of the Court’s work.
Commenting on the mission, LCW’s Director Ali Omar said:
“Our participation in this session came at a pivotal moment for justice in Libya. The appearance of El-Hishri before the International Criminal Court was not a routine legal step, but a defining moment that restored a sense of hope for victims who have been denied any path to justice at the national level for years. As both an advocate and a survivor, I understand deeply what victims feel, and I know what it means for them to finally see someone implicated in grave crimes standing before judges, after so many believed this day would never come.
This moment was not symbolic; it was proof that the Court’s process can move the justice file forward, and that impunity is no longer an accepted reality in Libya. Despite the profound frustration caused by the absence of accountability within the national system, I see today a real opportunity, at least for some victims, to pursue justice through international mechanisms. Continued cooperation with the Court and increased pressure on the authorities in Libya could pave the way for new arrest warrants and a broader pathway toward accountability for others involved.”
This mission forms part of LCW’s long-standing efforts to strengthen cooperation with the International Criminal Court as a core pathway to justice in Libya, within LCW’s broader advocacy strategy and in collaboration with its national and international partners, and in coordination with key international actors. It is grounded in a victim-centred approach aimed at amplifying victims’ voices, mobilising international support for their rights, and pressing the Libyan authorities to end impunity and uphold their obligations under international law.
