[Libya Observer] Four Libyan families residing in the United States have filed a lawsuit against Khalifa Haftar...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
, as he is an American citizen, for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal
liberty...
in Libya.
The families lodged the lawsuit in the county court of the State of Virginia, calling for investigations into Haftar's crimes and urging for holding him accountable for them as per the US laws, since he is a US citizen.
The lawsuits calls for financial compensations of about 100 million dollars as a punishment and 25 million dollars for the suffering and traumas caused by Haftar's forces attacks on their relatives, killing and injuring many of them in artillery shelling and
...KABOOM!...
s on the outskirts on Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
The lawsuit explains that Haftar's terrorist acts are violations of international laws and, hence, the US laws and he must be tried at a US court as he is an American citizen.
This lawsuit comes after a similar one has been formerly lodged in a Gay Paree court, accusing Haftar of killing family members in Ganfouda - Benghazi in 2014 - of a Libyan man who lives abroad.
The case was made by French lawyers who called on the government to probe Haftar at a time he was on French soil, but nothing happened.