20110408
reuters

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations investigators said on Friday they would start next week to probe alleged human rights violations committed by all sides in Libya's conflict and share evidence with the U.N. war crimes tribunal.

The independent commission of inquiry said its mandate was to investigate abuses by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the rebels fighting to topple him, and foreign parties involved in the conflict.

The three-member team, headed by American war crimes expert Cherif Bassiouni, declined to reveal its exact travel schedule but will stop first in Egypt and also visit Tunisia and Libya.

It would gather testimony and evidence widely, including on rape and use of mercenaries, and make every effort to protect witnesses from reprisals.

"We'll talk to everybody. We will be visiting hospitals, so we will be talking to people who are injured, we will be going to prisons, we'll talk to people who are in prison," the Egyptian-born Bassiouni told a news conference in Geneva.

"We will be talking to combatants, civilians, any available source of information will be addressed," he said.

The team would travel to largely rebel-held eastern Libya and the government-held west and attempt to reach besieged towns including Misrata, depending on the security situation. "Our work will be done on both sides with complete impartiality."

It has told the government of its plans and Tripoli issued a statement saying it would welcome them from April 15, according to Bassiouni.