Human rights watchdog Amnesty International yesterday called on Libyan leaders to rein in armed militia accused of abductions and torture, and to establish the rule of law.

Amnesty said it made the appeal in a “human rights manifesto for Libya” which it submitted to the newly elected Human Rights Committee of the General National Congress (GNC), or national assembly, urging immediate action.

It said it “warned Libya’s leaders that unless they rein in armed militias and bring them to account, Libya risks reproducing the same human rights violations that led to last year’s revolution that toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

“Libya’s political leadership, including elected members of the General National Congress, must take immediate steps to end ongoing human rights abuses and establish the rule of law,” a statement said.

“Every day, we receive desperate pleas from victims of human rights abuses all over Libya asking us to intervene and protect them,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa deputy director.

“We hear of individuals being abducted by armed militias, tortured including to death, driven out of their homes and killed or injured during armed confrontations. Such practices should have vanished with the end of the Gaddafi era, but they are ongoing in a climate of impunity.”

On Saturday GNC chief Mohammed al-Megaryef announced the decision to dissolve all militias that emerged during the revolution that ousted Gaddafi who do not come under state authority.