UN official slams abuse of BBC team by Gaddafi soldiers

London/Geneva, March 10 (DPA) The UN human rights chief condemned Thursday the detention of a BBC news team by soldiers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, saying their treatment was illegal and might amount to torture.

According to the British broadcaster, the team was subjected to mock executions.

‘For them to be targeted, detained and treated with such cruelty, which could amount to torture, is completely unacceptable and in serious violation of international law,’ UN high commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said.

‘If an international television crew can be subjected to this type of treatment, it makes me extremely concerned about the treatment that is most likely being meted out to Libyan opponents of the regime who have fallen into the hands of the security services,’ Pillay added.

Three reporters were trying to reach the western city of Zawiya when they were detained at an army control point where they were asked to show identification, the BBC reported Wednesday.

They were then brought to a military facility, where they were blindfolded, placed in handcuffs and beaten.

Journalist Chris Cobb-Smith, described how a plain-clothes soldier held a small sub-machine gun to his neck.

‘Then he walked up to me, put the gun to my neck and pulled the trigger twice. The bullets whisked past my ear. The soldiers just laughed,’ he said.

Another correspondent, Feras Killani, who is of Palestinian origin, reported being frequently beaten and accused of being a spy.

Cameraman Goktay Koraltan said all three became convinced they were going to be killed during their 21-hour detention.

The UN’s Pillay said that the journalists also observed signs of ‘terrible conditions’ in the detention centre and there was a likelihood torture was committed there to other inmates.

‘The members of security forces should not believe they can commit such acts with impunity,’ said Pillay, noting her office was running an investigation into Libya and the country’s situation has been referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The three journalists have left Libya and a government official later apologised for their treatment.

The BBC strongly denounced the mistreatment of journalists.

‘The safety of our staff is our primary concern especially when they are working in such difficult circumstances and it is essential that journalists working for the BBC, or any media organisation, are allowed to report on the situation in Libya without fear of attack,’ said Liliane Landor, languages controller of BBC Global News.