Human rights investigationsUnder pressure from ongoing investigations by Human Rights Investigations, Patria, the Finnish arms company, have released a press release this morning (7th July 2011): Patria’s mortar systems have not been used to fire cluster ammunition in Libya During the last weeks Patria has been increasingly contacted about the possibility that Patria’s Nemo 120 mm mortar system or […]
CJ Chivers of the New York Times and to a very limited extent Human Rights Watch (HRW) are now seriously engaging with the Human Rights Investigations probe into the cluster bombing of Misrata. The first indication from HRW (after weeks of trying to elicit a direct response) was a tweet from the Mary Wareham: Will […]
On this page, HRI presents some of the evidence relevant to the use of cluster munitions in Misrata in April 2011. As more information comes to light, and in response to the requirements of the on-going investigation, this page is updated on a fairly regular basis. Unlike those who jump to instant conclusions based on propaganda and partial truths, HRI is sceptical and […]
Analysis of official Spanish government documents indicates Spanish company Instalaza may not have exported the MAT-120 cluster weapon to Libya in 2007/08. In the 2008 report, Libya is listed as a recipient of category 4 munitions (which include bombs) – this is the source of the reports that Libya was provided with the MAT-120 by […]
Barclays Bank is implicated in the use of cluster munitions in Misrata. Analysis of the accounts of Instalaza, the manufacturer of the cluster munitions used in Misrata, by Profundo shows that Barclays Bank has been a major funder of the Spanish arms manufacturer. In 2007, Instalaza generated annual revenues of € 14.9 million, resulting in […]
Banking institutions have been implicated in the use of cluster munitions in Misrata. Deutsche Bank granted Spanish company Instalaza, the cluster bomb manufacturer, a loan of about €3.1 million according to information from non-governmental organisation Urgewald, as reported in the weekly Die Zeit on Wednesday. More than 100 countries signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions […]
Did Qatar bomb Misrata? – the dangers in allying with an Arab dictatorship. There have been a number of breaks in our ongoing investigation into the cluster bombing of Misrata over the last few days. We now have a lot more information about the disposition of forces on the relevant days (mid-April) and a new […]
UPDATE: 1 June 2011 – See later articles for updates UPDATE: 23 July 2011 – We’re still waiting for the Spanish government to produce the cluster bomb licenses, proof of export and end-user certificates. More here and here More on the evidence Libya possessed cluster munitions: HRI has located the original source of the Spanish media reports […]
Instalaza has been claiming 40 million euros, according to Spanish newspaper Cincodias in compensation for damages and lost profits after Spain decided to ban cluster bombs. The claim was put into the Spanish Executive, but the company refuses to say what the result has been. For their part, according to this newspaper report, the Spanish […]
On 15th April Human Rights Watch issued a statement asserting, “Government forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, have fired cluster munitions into residential areas in the western city of Misrata.” Subsequent reports indicate a large number of civilians died in these attacks. According to Fred Abrahams, Human Rights Watch assigned responsibility for these […]
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