There will be a day of reckoning and the reach of international justice can be long
William Hague
William Hague has warned Colonel Gaddafi that he will be punished for his violent crack down on protestors in Libya, after the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the dictator.
Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this afternoon the foreign secretary condemned the "unchecked and unacceptable violence" in Libya.
"Today we have signalled that crimes will not be condoned, will not go unpunished and will not be forgotten," he said.
"This is a warning to anyone contemplating the abuse of human rights in Libya or any other country, stay your hand.
"There will be a day of reckoning and the reach of international justice can be long."
In New York, Russia and China joined the West in backing a resolution that called for the increasingly isolated dictator to be prosecuted for the violence in his country.
The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously decided to impose economic and military sanctions on Libya and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to pursue charges of war crimes against Gaddafi, members of his family, and 16 of his political and military advisers.
Hague told the meeting today that there were "historical events" unfolding in the Middle East where anti-government protests have toppled the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and threaten several others.
"We have a responsibility to encourage governments to meet legitimate demands of their people and where necessary to protect the rights of their people," he said.
Downing Street has said that only a "handful" of the Britons left in Libya who have asked to be rescued. But the prime minister's spokesman cautioned this could change as events unfold.
Over the weekend the RAF transport planes supported by Special Forces soldiers flew into Libyan airspace in order to evacuate hundreds of stranded foreigners.
HMS Cumberland has also evacuated 150 British nationals and 150 other nationals and is due to arrive in Malta sometime this afternoon.
A British military officer in Malta is coordinating the Libyan evacuations staged by all nations to the Mediterranean Island.
David Cameron is due to give statement to MPs this afternoon on the situation in the Middle East.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.