Democracy efforts continue despite dangers in Libya. Speaking before a UN Security Council meeting on the Libyan crisis on Friday, February 25, Deputy UN Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi stated that the protesters’ death toll now numbered in the thousands, with more expected. The UK’s Foreign Office meanwhile issued a statement urging any remaining Britons to return home that day on what could be a final government-chartered flight. Amidst reports that protesters were being fired upon in the capital Tripoli, aid organization Doctors without Borders stated its concern for the injured, citing a shortage of medical equipment in the city of Benghazi along with an inability to even reach Tripoli by road despite the significant need for medical help there. In several parts of the country, army personnel continue to join fellow citizens demonstrating for democracy and freedom, with Al Jazeera reporting that protesters and air force personnel cooperated in seeking to prevent further attacks by disabling fighter jets at a military base. Government officials also continue leaving the regime in support of the protesters’ efforts, with the latest high profile officials being the Ambassador to Jordan Mohammad Bargathi, and Chief Prosecutor Abdel Rahman Al Abar, who stated Friday, “The logic of power and violence is being imposed instead of seeking democratic, free, and mutual dialog.” Also on Friday, representatives from the United Nations, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held emergency sessions to discuss interventions, with UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay calling the actions of the Libyan government crimes against humanity as she urged for immediate action to end the violence being perpetrated against the Libyan people, with support from other meeting participants, including European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, and UN diplomats from the UK, France, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations (f): Under international law, any official, at any level, ordering or carrying out atrocities and attacks can be held criminally accountable and that widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population amount to crimes against humanity. 

In other countries across the region, protesters returned to the streets en masse on Friday, sending messages to leaders that the citizens would not back down in their demands for substantive changes in government, job opportunities and human rights. Countries like Algeria showed responsiveness as the government lifted a two-decade old state of emergency law, which also has the effect of decreasing the power of the military and police. In Palestine, demonstrations were held Thursday and Friday calling for national reunification as several thousand people in the West Bank also protested once more the US veto of a UN Security Council resolution that would have recognized the illegality of Jewish settlements being built in Palestinian territories.

On Friday, 28 Palestinian organizations in Israel’s East Jerusalem joined in support as they announced a boycott of all US governmental and non-governmental organizations. Other pro-democracy demonstrations on Friday took place in Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, with injuries reported in Yemen and five deaths reported in Iraq. Although there were no reported protests Friday in Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Oman, or Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), people in those countries continue to uphold their rights to improved representation in government, better job opportunities an end to repression, and adherence to human rights.

With our sincere sympathies for the toll on precious lives, we pray for Heaven’s protection of all people and that the conflicts may cease, bringing peace, freedom and shared respect to the citizens of all nations.

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