BRUSSELS
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday to investigate 72 civilian deaths caused by air strikes during its 2011 Libya campaign.
According to 76-page report, "Unacknowledged Deaths: Civilian Casualties in NATO's Air Campaign in Libya", HRW highlighted that the eight NATO air strikes in Libya that resulted in 72 civilian deaths, including 20 women and 24 children, should be investigated.
NATO has failed to acknowledge dozens of civilian casualties from air strikes during its 2011 Libya campaign, and has not investigated possible unlawful attacks, said in the report.
It also said that the absence of a clear military target at seven of the eight sites HRW visited raised concerns of possible laws-of-war violations.
"Nato took important steps to minimize civilian casualties during the Libya campaign, but information and investigations are needed to explain why 72 civilians died. Attacks are allowed only on military targets, and serious questions remain in some incidents about what exactly NATO forces were striking," said Fred Abrahams, special adviser at HRW and principal author of the report.
Abrahams stated that compensation must be provided for victims of wrongful attacks.
NATO'S military campaign in Libya, from March to October 2011, was managed by the United Nations Security Council to protect civilians from attacks by security forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secratary General of NATO, said earlier that NATO had not broken the rules of international law in Libya campaign.
