III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 85 

Strongly condemning the gross and systematic violations of human rights 

in Libya, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic 

reforms, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 1, 2011 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. KIRK, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. 

GILLIBRAND, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. 

CASEY, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Strongly condemning the gross and systematic violations of 

human rights in Libya, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic reforms, and for other purposes. 

Whereas Muammar Gadhafi and his regime have engaged in 

gross and systematic violations of human rights, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic 

reforms, that have killed thousands of people; 

Whereas Muammar Gadhafi, his sons and supporters have instigated and authorized violent attacks on Libyan protesters using warplanes, helicopters, snipers and soldiers 

and continue to threaten the life and well-being of any 

person voicing opposition to the Gadhafi regime; 


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•SRES 85 ATS 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council and the international community have condemned the violence and use 

of force against civilians in Libya and on February 26, 

2011, the United Nations Security Council unanimously 

agreed to refer the ongoing situation in Libya to the 

International Criminal Court, impose an arms embargo 

on the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including the provision 

of mercenary personnel, freeze the financial assets of 

Muammar Gadhafi and certain family members, and impose a travel ban on Gadhafi, certain family members 

and senior advisors; 

Whereas Muammar Gadhafi has ruled Libya for more than 

40 years by banning and brutally opposing any individual 

or group opposing the ideology of his 1969 revolution, 

criminalizing the peaceful exercise of expression and association, refusing to permit independent journalists’ and 

lawyers’ organizations, and engaging in torture and 

extrajudicial executions, including the 1,200 detainees 

killed in Abu Salim Prison in June 1996; 

Whereas Libya took formal responsibility for the terrorist attack that brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over 

Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, 189 of whom 

were U.S. citizens and high-ranking Libyan officials have 

indicated that Muammar Gadhafi personally ordered the 

attack; and 

Whereas Libya was elected to the United Nations Human 

Rights Council on May 13, 2010 for a period of 3 years, 

sending a demoralizing message of indifference to the 

families of the victims of Pan Am flight 103 and Libyan 

citizens that have endured repression, arbitrary arrest, 

enforced disappearance or physical assault in their strugVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:43 Mar 01, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR85.ATS SR85

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•SRES 85 ATS 

gle to obtain basic human and civil rights: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) applauds the courage of the Libyan people 

3 in standing up against the brutal dictatorship of 

4 Muammar Gadhafi and for demanding democratic 

5 reforms, transparent governance, and respect for 

6 basic human and civil rights; 

7 (2) strongly condemns the gross and systematic 

8 violations of human rights in Libya, including vio9 lent attacks on protesters demanding democratic re10 forms; 

11 (3) calls on Muammar Gadhafi to desist from 

12 further violence, recognize the Libyan people’s de13 mand for democratic change, resign his position and 

14 permit a peaceful transition to democracy governed 

15 by respect for human and civil rights and the right 

16 of the people to choose their government in free and 

17 fair elections; 

18 (4) calls on the Gadhafi regime to immediately 

19 release persons that have been arbitrarily detained, 

20 to cease the intimidation, harassment and detention 

21 of peaceful protestors, human rights defenders and 

22 journalists, to ensure civilian safety, and to guar23 antee access to human rights and humanitarian or24 ganizations; 


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1 (5) welcomes the unanimous vote of the United 

2 Nations Security Council on resolution 1970 refer3 ring the situation in Libya to the International 

4 Criminal Court, imposing an arms embargo on the 

5 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, freezing the assets of 

6 Gadhafi and family members, and banning inter7 national travel by Gadhafi, members of his family, 

8 and senior advisors; 

9 (6) urges the Gadhafi regime to abide by 

10 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 

11 and ensure the safety of foreign nationals and their 

12 assets, and to facilitate the departure of those wish13 ing to leave the country as well as the safe passage 

14 of humanitarian and medical supplies, humanitarian 

15 agencies and workers, into Libya in order to assist 

16 the Libyan people; 

17 (7) urges the United Nations Security Council 

18 to take such further action as may be necessary to 

19 protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the 

20 possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan ter21 ritory; 

22 (8) welcomes the African Union’s condemnation 

23 of the ‘‘disproportionate use of force in Libya’’ and 

24 urges the Union to take action to address the 

25 human rights crisis in Libya and to ensure that 


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1 member states, particularly those bordering Libya, 

2 are in full compliance with the arms embargo im3 posed by United Nations Security Council Resolu4 tion 1970 against the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, in5 cluding the ban on the provision of armed mercenary 

6 personnel; 

7 (9) welcomes the decision of the United Nations 

8 Human Rights Council to recommend Libya’s sus9 pension from the Council and urges the United Na10 tions General Assembly to vote to suspend Libya’s 

11 rights of membership in the Council; 

12 (10) welcomes the attendance of Secretary of 

13 State Clinton at the United Nations Human Rights 

14 Council meeting in Geneva and 1) urges the Coun15 cil’s assumption of a country mandate for Libya that 

16 employs a Special Rapporteur on the human rights 

17 situation in Libya and 2) urges the U.S. Ambas18 sador to the United Nations to advocate for improv19 ing United Nations Human Rights Council member20 ship criteria at the next United Nations General As21 sembly in New York City to exclude gross and sys22 tematic violators of human rights; and 

23 (11) welcomes the outreach that has begun by 

24 the United States Government to Libyan opposition 


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1 figures and supports an orderly, irreversible transi2 tion to a legitimate democratic government in Libya. 

Æ 


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