JERUSALEM (JTA) — The European Union approved wide-ranging sanctions against Libya as world leaders urged Moammar Ghadafi to step down.
Sanctions levied Monday following a meeting in Geneva include an arms embargo, a visa ban and a freeze on Libyan assets.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands of opposition protesters in Libya have been killed by pro-Ghadafi military fighters since the uprising spread to the capital last week. Ghadafi has ruled Libya for 42 years after taking power in a coup.
"Ghadafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts, which violate international legal obligations and common decency," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an address to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Monday.
"It is time for Ghadafi to go, now, without further violence or delay," she said.
Over the weekend, the United Nations Security Council instructed the International Criminal Court to look into possible crimes against humanity occurring in Libya.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s public prosecutor on Monday placed a travel ban on former President Hosni Mubarak and his family, including his wife, two sons and their families, preventing them from leaving the country. An earlier order froze the family’s assets.
Following 18 days of protest, Mubarak stepped down as Egypt’s president on Feb. 11 after 30 years as the country’s leader. He is believed to be in ill health and living in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheik.
