Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Nazhat Shameem Khan, told the United Nations Security Council that Libya has accepted the court’s jurisdiction and agreed to strengthen judicial cooperation and investigations until the end of 2027.
Speaking during a Security Council session, Khan said ongoing obstacles continue to hinder the execution of arrest warrants against several suspects believed to be inside Libya, describing the situation as a violation of Security Council resolutions.
The deputy prosecutor also pointed to progress in investigations linked to migrant smuggling networks and crimes committed against migrants in Libya, noting that the investigations are advancing with cooperation from Libyan authorities and the European Union.
Khan described the hearing involving Libyan suspect Khaled Mohamed Ali Al-Hishri as a significant stage in the pursuit of justice, after he faced 17 charges related to crimes against humanity allegedly committed inside Mitiga Prison.
According to Khan, the prosecution argued before the court that Mitiga Prison was “not an ordinary detention facility,” but rather a system built on humiliation, torture and systematic abuse.
The ICC case against Al-Hishri forms part of broader investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights violations committed in Libya since the 2011 uprising. Prosecutors have increasingly focused on detention centres, armed groups and migrant trafficking networks accused of carrying out unlawful killings, torture, sexual violence and arbitrary detention.
The hearing comes amid continued international calls for accountability and judicial reform in Libya, where political divisions and security instability have complicated efforts to prosecute suspects accused of serious crimes.