2024-01-25
COPENHAGEN - Denmark dropped bombs in four key incidents in which civilians were reportedly killed or injured in the 2011 war that led to the overthrow of dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi, this investigation by Altinget and Airwars can reveal in partnership with the Guardian.
This is the first time any NATO member state has admitted involvement in the civilian deaths documented by the UN and human rights organisations.
For years families have been seeking answers about their loved ones but have struggled to deal with NATO - which argues that all strikes are conducted jointly, but then invokes immunity as a coalition. Altinget and Airwars tracked down the father of some of the victims, a man who twice tried and failed to sue NATO in Belgian courts.
This admission opens the door to potential compensation claims. The chief researcher for the UN investigation into civilian deaths caused by NATO called it a "deeply significant” scoop that shows “that a NATO member state reflected upon potential war crimes investigated by the UN and other entities." If it had been released earlier, he said, it would have been a “gold mine for accountability” and could have led to accountability for many of the civilians harmed.
Photo by Rasmus Westh
Supported
€18.000,00 allocated on 09/11/2022ID
ECB/2022/770Tags
ONLINE
- Forsvaret hemmeligholdt rapporter i årevis: Danmark dræbte med al sandsynlighed civile i Libyen, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Denmark admits role in Nato airstrikes on Libya that killed 14 civilians in 2011, The Guardian, 25/01/2024.
- Denmark admits role in Nato airstrikes on Libya that killed 14 civilians in 2011, Airwars, 25/01/2024.
- Det danske Forsvaret hemmeligholdt rapporter i årevis: Danmark drepte med all sannsynlighet sivile i Libya, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Politikere kræver svar i Libyen-sag: Det er "dybt bekymrende", at afgørende oplysninger blev tilbageholdt, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Tidligere norsk UD-topp om Libya-avsløringer: – Dessverre ikke overraskende, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Torsdag 25. jan. 2024, DR (Danish Radio), 25/01/2024.
- Efter afsløring: Forsvarsminister genåbner Libyen-sag efter mere end ti år, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- How we exposed secretive Danish role in Libyan civilian deaths, Airwars, 25/01/2024.
- Partier efter Libyen-afsløring: Danmark bør forberede sig på mulige sagsanlæg, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (Warns of lawsuits)
- Podcast: Sådan kom det frem, at Danmark med al sandsynlighed har dræbt civile i Libyen: "Konklusionen var hemmelig, ind til jeg et årti senere fik min aktindsigt retur", Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Video: I krig for de civile trods risiko for civile drab: Sådan lød politikernes argumenter, da de sendte kampfly mod Libyen, Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Fogh vil ikke kommentere Libyen-sag, og Hækkerup har ingen erindring om den, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and former defence minister Nick Hækkerup)
- “Son of a bitch!” udbryder tidligere FN-efterforsker: Skjulte Libyen-rapporter indeholder alle de svar, vi bad om, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (Interview with Marc Garlasco, investigative team leader on civilian casualties on the ground in Libya)
- Hans Engell: Libyen-sagen sætter igen Forsvarets troværdighed på prøve, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (comment from a former Danish defence minister)
- "En nyhed af den størrelse sætter sig i hukommelsen": Tidligere udenrigsminister mindes ikke at være blevet orienteret om Libyen-sag, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (Interview w/ then former foreign minister Villy Søvndal)
- Tidligere norsk topdiplomat om mulige civile drab i Libyen: "Desværre ikke overraskende", Altinget, 25/01/2024.
- Internationale ngo’er: Dansk Libyen-afsløring bør få andre lande ud af busken om mulige civile drab, Altinget, 26/02/2024.
- Amerikansk ngo: Afsløring viser, at Danmark kunne have taget ansvar for de civile langt tidligere, 26/02/2024.
Impact
- Podcast: Fusk med adoptioner, danske bomber i Libyen og det fængslende kys, DR, 26/01/2024. (Author interview)
- Dræbte danske kampfly civile i Libyen? I årevis har rapporter fra Forsvaret gemt på en hemmelighed, Zetland, 29/01/2024.
- Forargelse efter afsløring af hemmelig rapport om mulige danske drab på civile: »Dybt bekymrende«, Berlingske, 25/01/2024.
- Den danske deltagelse i bombardementerne virkede – i første omgang, Berlingske, 25/01/2024. (Reflections by correspondent on the ground in Libya in 2011)
- Politikens forsvarsredaktør: Det var med god grund, at Lene Espersen ikke udstak garanti mod civile tab, Politiken, 25/01/2024.
- Nya dokument visar Danmarks medverkan i dödandet av civila i Libyen, Aftonbladet, 25/01/2024. (Sweden)
- Danske politikere krever svar etter Libya-avsløring: Dypt bekymringsfullt at avgjørende opplysninger ble tilbakeholdt, Altinget, 25/01/2024. (Norway)
- Danish revelations about Libya bombing 13 years ago could help victims’ families, Middle East Monitor, 21/02/2024
- Aawsat.com, 21/02/2024 نظام القذافيليبيون لمقاضاة الدنمارك بتهمة قتل 14 مدنياً خلال إسقاط
need resources for your own investigative story?
Journalismfund Europe's flexible grants programmes enable journalists to produce relevant public interest stories with a European mind-set from international, national, and regional perspectives.
support independent cross-border investigative journalism
We rely on your support to continue the work that we do. Make a gift of any amount today.
