Judge leaves lawsuits against Libyan general Hifter on pause

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that war-crimes lawsuits against a Libyan military commander who used to live in the U.S. must stay on hold for now to avoid interfering with upcoming presidential elections there. At a hearing Friday in Alexandria, Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected a request to revive the lawsuits against Khalifa Hifter, who has controlled large swaths of the nation during a yearslong civil war. Brinkema last month paused a trio of civil lawsuits against Hifter, just as he was scheduled to be questioned. Hifter is running for president in Libyan elections later this month; Brinkema said she was concerned the lawsuits were being used to further political agendas rather than protect victims of torture. She said the lawsuits can move forward after the election.