The European Union has slammed three foreign firms and two individuals with sanction for violating the UN arms embargo on Libya.
The three companies are from Turkey, Kazakhstan and Jordan respectively.
A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels resolved that the sanctions imposed include an asset freeze for the three companies.
Two individuals were also sanctioned for human rights abuses in Libya, a statement by the EU said.
The United Nations in a report in September accused Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries of violating the international arms embargo on Libya, a country in war since its leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, was deposed in 2011 by Nato-backed forces.
The UAE and Russia back renegade Gen Khalifa Haftar in the east while the Turkish government supports his rivals in the government based in Tripoli.
The statement reads: “The Council today decided to impose targeted restrictive measures on two persons responsible for human rights abuses in Libya and three entities involved in violating the UN arms embargo in place for Libya.
“They will be added to the EU’s list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures related to the Libyan conflict.
“The sanctions imposed comprise a travel ban and an asset freeze for natural persons, and an asset freeze for entities.
” In addition, EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds available to those listed. With these new designations, the EU now has travel bans on 17 listed persons and has frozen the assets of 21 persons and 19 entities.”
The EU imposes restrictive measures on persons and entities whose actions threaten the peace and security of Libya or obstruct the successful completion of its political transition.
The EU has repeatedly called on all parties to respect human rights and international law and is committed to holding anyone violating them accountable.
The EU is also determined to see the UN arms embargo in Libya fully respected.
The UN has imposed a travel ban on 28 persons and an asset freeze on 23 persons.
