via Bloomberg Businessweek
The United Nations Security Council voted 15-0 to freeze the foreign assets of Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi and four aides and to bar them from traveling, in the broadest international effort to halt his regime’s attacks on protesters.
The resolution also imposes an arms embargo on Libya and calls for an immediate end to violence that it says “may amount to crimes against humanity.” The measure sends the allegations to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for investigation and possible prosecution.
“Referring the case to the International Criminal Court shows that those who commit crimes against their own people will personally be held accountable,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said today in an e-mailed statement.
The unanimous passage late yesterday of the resolution that was circulated by Britain and France followed a plea by Libyan Ambassador Mohammed Shalgham for the UN to “save” his nation. Shalgham, in an emotional speech to the Security Council on Feb. 25, broke with the Qaddafi regime and asked that sanctions be adopted.
“This resolution represents moral support for our people who are resisting,” Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya’s deputy ambassador to the UN, said after the vote, which came amid reports that forces loyal to Qaddafi were reinforcing in capital, Tripoli, after army units defected in the east of the North African country.
Article Courtesy businessweek.com
