Global community isolates Gaddafi

International condemnation of the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Libya has escalated, with the European Union pushing for a UN-led probe into human rights abuses.

A draft proposal by the 27-nation bloc on Wednesday spoke out against "extremely grave human rights violations committed in Libya, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of peaceful demonstrators," and said they could "amount to crimes against humanity".

The bloc has also agreed to prepare possible sanctions on Libya. Experts will now draw up a list of proposed measures, which could include visa bans, asset freezes, an arms embargo and other restrictions, before EU governments agree when to impose them.

The agreement came after Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, urged the EU to impose "concrete sanctions" on Libya, and David Cameron, the British prime minister, called for a full United Nations Security Council resolution on the issue.

Peru has also said it is suspending diplomatic relations with Libya and would ask the Security Council to establish an exclusion zone in Libyan airspace "to prevent the use of that country's warplanes against [its] population".

And the Libyan embassy in Austria has joined several other missions distancing themselves away from Gaddafi's government, condemning the use of "excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators".

Gaddafi support 'crumbling'

The EU's draft resolution comes two days ahead of an emergency meeting at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, over the situation in Libya.

If approved by a majority of the council's 47 members it would be the first time the body has acted against one of its own, as Libya gained a seat on the council last year.

African and Asian countries often block criticism of abusive governments except when it has been directed at Israel, but the call for Friday's meeting was signed by Jordan, Qatar and the Palestinian Authority, indicating traditional support for Muammar Gaddafi is crumbling.

The African Union on Wednesday also condemned
"the disproportionate use of force against civilians" in Libya and expressed regret at the loss of life there

The International Criminal Court has said it cannot prosecute any alleged crimes against humanity in Libya without an order from the UN Security Council, or a request from Libya itself.

"The decision to do justice in Libya should be taken by the Libyan people,'' Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Hague based court's chief prosecutor, said on Wednesday.

Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had previously said the attacks against civilians could amount to crimes against humanity.

European leaders are said to be discussing imposing sanctions on Libya at a meeting on Wednesday. Sarkozy said the bloc should move swiftly "so that all those involved in the ongoing violence know that they must assume the consequences of their actions".

"I would also like to be examined the suspension until further notice of economic, commercial and financial relations with Libya," he said on Wednesday, adding that the international community could "not remain a spectator to these massive violations of human rights".

His comments came after Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said she would be in favour of sanctions against Libya if it did not halt violence against its own people.