UN human rights agency calls for probe into Gaddafi's death

United Nations, Oct 22: The UN human rights body has sought a probe into Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi's death to determine whether he was killed during fighting or after his capture, saying that thousands of victims of the eight-month conflict have the right to know the truth.

The circumstances surrounding the former Libyan leader's death in his hometown of Sirte are unclear, with four or five different versions surfacing of how he died, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said.

"There are at least two cell-phone videos, one showing him alive and one showing him dead. Taken together, these videos are very disturbing," Rupert Colville, OHCHR''s spokesperson, said in Geneva.

Colville said there is need for an investigation and more details are needed to ascertain whether Gaddafi was killed in the fighting or after his capture.

He said that thousands of victims who suffered loss of life and several others who were subjected to torture and other human rights violations over the past eight months have the right "to know the truth, to see the culture of impunity brought to an end, and to receive reparations."

"It will be essential for alleged perpetrators to be brought before trials, which adhere to international standards for fair trial, and for victims to see that accountability has been achieved," Colville stated.

PTI