37C3 – A Libyan Militia and the EU – A Love Story?

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1. 15:45
   the monitoring system has realized "i think therefore I am"

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2. 01:31 🚢 The EU implemented a system post-migration crisis to prevent refugees from entering, involving Frontex and the European Contact Group on Search and Rescue.
   04:15 🚫 Despite international conventions prohibiting it, there were instances of ships returning refugees to Libya, violating human rights.
   07:00 💰 The EU invested 60 million euros in establishing a Libyan Coast Guard to pull back refugees. Questions about its operations and effectiveness remain unanswered.
   11:44 🛰 Frontex, using drones and planes, collaborated with the Libyan Coast Guard. There were suspicions of communication intelligence monitoring of refugee boats.
   14:30 📱 Despite denials, evidence shows direct communication between Frontex (via WhatsApp) and the Libyan Coast Guard, coordinating actions in intercepting refugee boats.
   16:03 🌐 Efforts to monitor human rights violations by the Libyan Coast Guard have lacked transparency, with unclear findings from the third-party monitoring system.
   19:52 🌊 The EU's collaboration has shifted migration routes, causing more dangerous journeys for refugees. The focus on pullbacks and gatekeeping impacts people seeking safer shores.
   21:55 🚤 The talk introduces the context of Eastern Libya's migration route, highlighting the rise of the Tareq Ben Zeyad Brigade (TBZ) in the absence of effective sea rescue by Malta.
   23:03 🚢 Maltese boats engage in dodgy behavior, violating sea laws by refueling distressed vessels to divert them to Italy instead of Malta.
   25:43 ⚖ Malta's refusal to intercept boats in the eastern part of Libya leads to more arrivals, causing problems for Malta, Italy, and the EU.
   28:49 🚢 Tariq Ben Zeyad Brigade (TBZ), a Libyan militia, known for human rights abuses, extends from land to sea, intercepting boats with hired maritime crews.
   30:38 🤝 EU officials openly meet and hope for cooperation with individuals linked to TBZ, raising concerns about EU involvement in migrant interception.
   32:26 🛫 Frontex, the EU's border agency, is implicated in coordinating and guiding TBZ in intercepting boats carrying migrants.
   34:46 🌐 A powerful tool is used to reconstruct and expose Frontex involvement in coordinating TBZ interceptions, revealing information from aircraft tracks and maritime boundaries.
   43:28 🔍 Malta cooperates with armed groups, incorrectly labeled as the "Benghazi Coast Guard," causing concern about EU partnerships with militias engaged in deadly activities.
   45:21 📢 Open-source intelligence from social media platforms reveals disturbing videos of militias engaging in harmful activities after intercepting migrants.
   48:03 🌐 Armed drone warfare in Libya involved Turkish armed drones in the western part and Chinese armed drones in the eastern part.
   48:30 📡 It is technically possible to locate satellite telephones, as demonstrated by the detection of satellite phones in past shipwrecks.
   51:12 🌐 Awareness, funding, and activism are crucial to addressing the alarming situation in the central Mediterranean. The focus is on highlighting the ongoing crisis, supporting rescue NGOs, and organizing protests.
   53:45 🚫 Legislation in the EU Parliament and Council may criminalize helpers of migrants and civil rescue organizations. Opposition and activism are essential to prevent harmful regulations.
   54:01 🆘 Establishing direct contact with people on the move is challenging and potentially dangerous due to legal constraints and the involvement of state responsibilities.
   55:10 🚢 Militias like the Libyan Coast Guard pose a threat to NGOs involved in rescue operations. The danger is assessed based on the weaponry carried by these groups, but the situation remains unpredictable and risky.

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3. So many insanely cool talks at CCC, and insanely cool people. Keep fighting the good fight guys.

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