European countries have readied a set of economic sanctions against Libya, while Barack Obama, the US president, has slammed the use of “outrageous” force against protesters. A special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is also set to take place on Friday to discuss the use of extreme force against peaceful protesters. On Thursday, anti-government protesters appeared to be in control of the country’s eastern coastline, running from the Egyptian border through to the cities of Tobruk and Benghazi, the country’s second largest city.