Former Libyan coast guard chief on UN sanctions

Описание: (15 Dec 2018) A former commander of the EU-funded Libyan Coast Guard accused of involvement in human trafficking and smuggling migrants has denounced the charges against him and sanctions imposed on him by the UN Security Council.
Abd Al-Rahman Al-Milad, now a captain in the Libyan Navy, was among six people who were subjected to sanctions for their alleged role in human trafficking in Libya on 7 June 2018.
He was the commander of a coast guard unit in Zawiya, 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Tripoli.
The UN Security Council said Al-Milad's unit was constantly linked to violence against migrants and other human traffickers, citing allegations by a UN panel of experts that he and other coast guard personnel had a direct role in drowning migrants' boats using firearms, as well as being involved in fuel smuggling.
However, Al-Milad denied all the allegations, challenging the Security Council to provide compelling evidence to prove his involvement, stressing at the same time that he was doing his best to rescue migrants from the sea legally.
Al-Milad said he is ready to appear before the public prosecutor for questioning, asking for the case to be thoroughly investigated.
The 31-year-old, who once fought with the rebels to oust dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, used patrol ships purchased with EU funds to find boats carrying migrants.
Several migrant witnesses in the Un investigation have stated that they were picked up at sea by armed men on a coastguard ship called Tallil, which was used by Al-Milad, and taken to Al-Nasr detention centre, where they are reportedly held in brutal inhumane conditions and subjected to beatings.
Al-Milad is currently suspended from any coast guard work until a decision is reached regarding the charges against him.
The sanctions against him include freezing of bank accounts and the prohibition of international travel.
They are part of an attempt to combat smuggling networks which are responsible for sending hundreds of thousands of migrants on dangerous trips across the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe.
It's the first time such measures have been used against alleged human traffickers in the region.
The African Union said in December there were estimated 400,000 to 700,000 migrants in more than 40 detention camps across Libya, many in inhumane conditions.
The European Union, including the United Kingdom, is spending approximately 200 million US dollars in Libya to deter migrants from making the journeys, in which thousands have already sunk, including more than 1,000 people so far this year alone.
The EU funds have been spent to recruit and train the Libyan coast guards and equip them with communications, rescue equipment, boats and vehicles.

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