October 30th, 2011
06:03 AM ET

HRW: Militias terrorizing Libyans accused of working with pro-Gadhafi forces

Militias from the Libyan city of Misrata have beaten and killed displaced residents from the nearby town of Tawergha, accusing them of siding with pro-Gadhafi forces and committing violent crimes in Misrata, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

The rights group said Sunday it interviewed dozens of Tawerghans across the country, including those detained or displaced.

"They gave credible accounts of some Misrata militias shooting unarmed Tawerghans, and of arbitrary arrests and beatings of Tawerghan detainees, in a few cases leading to death."

CNN could not immediately verify the claims.

Local authorities and Misrata residents widely accuse Tawerghans of having committed serious crimes - including murders and rapes - in Misrata with forces loyal to ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Human Rights Watch said.

The group said pro-Gadhafi forces used Tawergha as a base for attacks on Misrata and the surrounding area from March until August. Many Tawerghans supported the 42-year ruler, whose regime claimed that Libyan opposition fighters would enslave Tawerghans if they took power, Human Rights Watch said.

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Filed under: Africa • Libya • World
soundoff (37 Responses)
  1. bobcat2u

    Is the type of freedom that was envisioned at the beggining of the revolution ? The militias in each city seemed to have opened a great new number of fronts in this liberation process. Detaining, beating and shooting people new to your area just because you SUSPECT them of being ghadafi suppoters does not seem to instill a feeling of freedom.
    This is going be a nasty, muti-fronted civil war now. Last Man Standing.

    October 30, 2011 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  2. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    Why does this report not surprise me? It figures that with these right-wing, pro-Western, self-styled "liberators" some blood is bound to flow!!! But most sickening of all, is that most people in America are still in a big fat Huzzah over this "rebel victory" in Libya.

    October 30, 2011 at 12:38 pm | Report abuse |
  3. my jj tweet

    joey im pretty much in the loop and talk to many people about a varity of things thru out the day. not once has anybody brought up libya. what site are we on? yup CNN. you might wanna rephrase your statement about the right wing LMAO!

    October 30, 2011 at 1:17 pm | Report abuse |
  4. saywhat

    @ bobcat2u @ JI-F
    Agree.
    We wanted Ghaddafi eliminated, "the man who knew too much'.

    October 30, 2011 at 1:21 pm | Report abuse |
  5. saywhat

    Months of aerial attacks, weaponizing the 'rebels', all that bloodshed. Mission accomplished.

    October 30, 2011 at 1:23 pm | Report abuse |
  6. my jj tweet

    if there is such a "huzzah" why are there only four comments in four hours? just a thought... its cnn and the left wing trying to get everyone riled up in order to save their ship that is sinking

    October 30, 2011 at 1:26 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Mmmmm

    everybody went to cherchy church...and drinking mimosaaaaaaaaa-ah!

    October 30, 2011 at 1:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat2u

      Who told you to post such a stupid, meaningless and unfunny comment like that??? These off-the topic, meaningless Tea Party comments are really getting to be both a bore and a pain in the you know where!!! In fact, you'd do the rest of us a great service here by just quitting this nonsense!!!!!!

      October 30, 2011 at 2:07 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mmmmm

      baaaaaabey! It's Sunday! you need Jesus and ah lil something t'smooth dem jagged edges...yah kno' the spiriits and The Spirit!

      October 30, 2011 at 3:18 pm | Report abuse |
  8. my jj tweet

    the only nonsense being spewed is coming out of those little rat claws typing away. in case you forgot there are two sides to an arguement and i will never back down to mindless libtard who lets the liberal media form there every thought. whats your address? ill send you some cheese with that whine

    October 30, 2011 at 2:15 pm | Report abuse |
  9. bobcat2u

    Not me @2:07PM
    We're starting early today aren't we philip ?

    October 30, 2011 at 2:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • bobcat2u

      I did in fact post @2:07pm here as I'm sick and tired of all these mindless Tea Party comments being vomited over and over again on this web page! I see that you ignorant Tea Partiers don't even have enough sense to follow the topic we're on either! Did any of you ever finish grade school? It doesn't appear that way!!!

      October 30, 2011 at 3:35 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Mmmmm

    Just 1 hour P-H-I-L-L-I-P !

    October 30, 2011 at 3:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. chrissy

    pretty easy really to see who the real bobcat is and he certainly ISNT the hate filled one. philip why dont u just use your own name, u would certainly get more respect by doing so!

    October 30, 2011 at 3:47 pm | Report abuse |
  12. chrissy

    you gain respect defending your beliefs MORE by using your own name than by hiding behind someone elses. all that achieves is alienating those around u who might otherwise respect u for standing by what you say. just an opinion of course. 🙂

    October 30, 2011 at 3:51 pm | Report abuse |
  13. chrissy

    however after rereading the posts it does appear to be more likely the work of george patton than philip! or otherwise known as dick the troll.

    October 30, 2011 at 4:04 pm | Report abuse |
  14. bobcat2u

    @chrissy
    Hey lady. How are you feeling today ?
    Lord, how do you keep track of which troll is which ?
    I hate that I suddenly became so popular with these butts.

    October 30, 2011 at 4:59 pm | Report abuse |
    • leeintulsa

      @bobcat2u: i consider them all 1, anyway. THE troll.

      October 30, 2011 at 5:31 pm | Report abuse |
  15. 4millyR

    He cant stay on topic.If the topic where baby bunnies, he would get all »q»u*e*e*r *and make rabbits seem gay.

    October 30, 2011 at 5:33 pm | Report abuse |
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