Protecting the rights of refugees and migrants is a top priority, including in Libya, a Swiss government spokesperson has told swissinfo.ch in response to Amnesty International accusations that Bern is complicit in “horrific abuse of refugees and migrants” in Libyan detention centres. In a report released on Tuesday, human rights organisation Amnesty International said European governments are actively supporting a “sophisticated system of abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants by the Libyan Coast Guard, detention authorities and smugglers in order to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean”. The report is targeted mainly at Italy and the European Union, but the Swiss section of Amnesty International said in a separate statement that Switzerland is also actively cooperating with the Libyan authorities and has made CHF1 million ($1 million) available to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for training and equipping the Libyan Coast Guard. “The ...
