US judge rules against Libya’s Hifter in war crimes suits

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge has entered a default judgment against a Libyan military commander after he repeatedly failed to show up for depositions in a federal lawsuit in which he is accused of war crimes. The exact amount of the judgment against Khalifa Hifter, who spent decades living in the U.S., will be determined at a future date. Plaintiffs say they are optimistic they can collect any judgment that is awarded because they believe Hifter and his family still own extensive property in northern Virginia. A judge said Friday that default judgment was appropriate because Hifter blew off multiple scheduled depositions about his role in fighting that has plagued the country over the last decade.