The interim Libyan government is being accused of widespread torture in the aftermath of the ouster of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said investigators had uncovered scores of cases of abuse in Libyan prisons.

Navi Pillay: “The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) visited over 8,500 detainees in approximately 60 places of detention between March and December 2011. The majority of detainees are accused of being Gaddafi loyalists and include a large number of sub-Saharan African nationals. The lack of oversight by the central authorities creates an environment conducive to torture and ill treatment. My staff have received alarming reports that this is happening in places of detention that they have visited.”