Deputy Prosecutor Nazat Sharmin Khan told the United Nations Security Council on Nov. 3 that a series of recent arrests and warrants, together with increased cooperation from Libyan authorities, has created “new momentum towards justice in Libya.”

Khan said the Office of the Prosecutor welcomed the arrest by German authorities on July 16 of Khalid Mohammad Ali Lehi Hissri pursuant to an ICC warrant issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I and described the imminent transfer of Mr. El Hissri to the ICC as a milestone toward holding those responsible for atrocities to account. “Those responsible for inflicting suffering in Libya are mistaken if they believe they are still outside the reach of justice,” Khan said.

The prosecutor alleged that Mr. El Hissri is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed at Matiga Prison from February 2015 to at least early 2020, including murder, torture and sexual violence against Libyan nationals and migrants. The briefing did not include judicial findings; the Office framed these as allegations under investigation and prosecution by the ICC.

Khan also reported ongoing efforts to secure the arrest and transfer of Osama El Masri Najim to the ICC and said the Office had received recent reports of a possible arrest in Libya and was seeking confirmation from the Libyan attorney general. She noted that Pre-Trial Chamber I unsealed an ICC arrest warrant on Aug. 8 for Seif Soleiman Bridal, whom the Office alleges participated in operations in Benghazi in May 2014 and in three mass executions that killed a total of 23 people.

The briefing highlighted Libya’s formal steps to cooperate with the court, including the submission of a declaration under Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute accepting the exercise of jurisdiction by the ICC and “real enhanced cooperation” from Libyan authorities. Khan specifically thanked Prime Minister De Beiber and President Al Menfi for support and welcomed contact from the Libyan attorney general to arrange an in-person meeting.

On the Office’s investigative timetable, Khan said a review of opportunities and constraints led her office to confirm it will continue investigations beyond May 2026 and will report to the Council promptly upon completion of each of the three remaining lines of inquiry. She described that decision as a reaffirmation of the Office’s commitment to conclude investigations while adapting to operational realities.

Khan also described the Office’s sustained engagement with civil society and victims: she said she held a meeting on Oct. 8, 2025 with more than 30 civil society organizations and human-rights activists, and that the Libya Unified Team held over 150 interactions with more than 54 CSOs and victims’ groups in the period under review. She said these actors welcomed recent arrests but cautioned that lasting impact requires continued focus.

The prosecutor drew attention to work on crimes against migrants carried out by a joint team with domestic law-enforcement agencies of five state parties, noting that the trial of an Eritrean alleged human smuggler, Tewelde Goitong (also known as Valed), commenced in the Netherlands on Nov. 3 and that another alleged smuggler is expected to be extradited from the United Arab Emirates to the Netherlands by year-end.

Khan closed by warning against coercive measures and intimidation directed at the ICC and its partners, saying such tactics “do not serve anyone other than those who wish to benefit from impunity,” and urged Council members to sustain collective action to deliver justice for victims.

The Security Council took Khan’s briefing under consideration; no formal Council decision or vote was recorded in the transcript.