INTRODUCTION
During December 2025, serious human rights violations continued across Libya, perpetrated by security agencies and armed groups affiliated with the competing authorities in the eastern and western regions of the country. These violations included unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, and military operations conducted in residential areas, amid the absence of any serious or effective measures to investigate or ensure accountability.
According to what was documented by the LCW field team during the month, two (2) children were killed in the cities of Al-Zawiya and Tripoli, and at least one (1) civilian was injured in Al-Zawiya. The field team also monitored the death of one (1) detainee in the city of Ubari following the deterioration of his health while in detention.
In the context of migrant-related violations, the LCW field team monitored the discovery of two (2) decomposed bodies of unidentified individuals on the seashore in the areas of Souq Al-Jumaa in Tripoli and Al-Hammama near Al-Bayda. The bodies are believed to belong to migrants.
Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) holds the following parties fully legally responsible for the violations documented in this report: the 103rd Infantry Battalion (“Al-Silaa Militia”) affiliated with the Ministry of Defence of the Government of National Unity (GNU); the Judicial Police Authority affiliated with the Ministry of Justice of the GNU; and the local authorities in the western coastal cities. This responsibility stems from their direct or indirect involvement in the commission of these violations, or their failure to prevent them, protect civilians, and initiate serious, transparent investigations to hold those responsible to account.
LCW emphasises that the violations documented in this report do not reflect the full scope of abuses committed during December, but are limited to cases the LCW field team was able to monitor and verify in accordance with its approved documentation methodology. Certain information has been withheld to protect privacy, in consideration of confidentiality and the informed consent of victims and their families, and following an assessment of the risks associated with publishing such information.
DETAILS
December 2
On 2 December, LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) decomposed body of an unidentified individual on the seashore in the Souq Al-Jumaa area, west of Tripoli. The body is believed to belong to a migrant. It was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent – Tripoli Branch and handed over to the Ambulance and Emergency Services Authority affiliated with the Ministry of Health of the GNU, before being transferred to a hospital to complete the required legal procedures.
December 6
LCW documented, on 6 December, the killing of the child Ayham Al-Tayyib bin Hamed (14 years old) and the serious injury of his father, as a result of shrapnel from a shell that struck their vehicle in the Al-Sabriya area of Al-Zawiya. The incident occurred during armed clashes between fighters affiliated with the 103rd Infantry Battalion (“Al-Silaa Militia”), which is subordinate to the GNU Ministry of Defence.
December 17
On 17 December, LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) decomposed body of an unidentified individual on the seashore in the Al-Hamama area, north-west of the city of Al-Bayda. The body is believed to belong to a migrant. It was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent – Coastal Branch and handed over to the local authorities to complete the legal procedures.
December 23
LCW documented, on 23 December, the killing of the child Mo’men Belnoor Farhat (3 years old), who succumbed to head injuries caused by anti-aircraft shells of unknown origin while he was standing in front of his home in the Khallat Al-Farjan area, south of Tripoli. The incident coincided with the presence of an unidentified drone flying above the house.
December 26
On 26 December, LCW documented the death of Ibrahim Al-Mabrouk Hassan Al-Tabawi (38 years old) inside the Ubari Rehabilitation and Reform Institution (“Ubari Prison”) in southern Libya. His death followed his contraction of tuberculosis during detention and the deterioration of his health condition, amid medical negligence and the prison administration’s refusal to transfer him to a hospital.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) calls on the authorities in eastern and western Libya to take all necessary measures to prevent any military activities within or in the vicinity of residential areas or civilian facilities. LCW further urges the Libyan Attorney General to open independent and transparent investigations into incidents of indiscriminate gunfire and shelling in populated areas and civilian infrastructure that endanger civilian lives, to disclose the findings of such investigations, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable in accordance with international fair trial standards.
- LCW calls on the Libyan Attorney General to initiate independent and transparent investigations into all serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial and unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, abduction, and conditions in both official and unofficial places of detention, and to ensure accountability for those responsible in line with international fair trial standards.
- LCW reiterates its call on the Libyan authorities to uphold their responsibilities to protect the lives of migrants along migration routes in the desert and at sea, and to cooperate with relevant international organisations to establish effective search and rescue mechanisms, coordinate with international rescue organisations, determine the fate of missing persons, and ensure the identification of bodies and human remains. LCW also calls for independent and transparent investigations into shipwreck incidents and violations related to human trafficking, and for those involved to be held accountable in accordance with international accountability standards.
- LCW urges the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reconsider its decision to halt investigations in Libya by the end of 2025, given the risk that such a decision would further entrench impunity, in a context marked by the lack of will, capacity, and effectiveness of domestic judicial mechanisms, their failure to fulfil their obligations, and their inability to implement the principle of complementarity as set out in the Rome Statute.
- LCW reiterates its call on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) and UN Member States to establish an international investigative mechanism as an alternative to the Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), mandated to investigate serious human rights violations in Libya, identify those responsible, and support pathways to accountability and the fight against impunity.
- LCW calls on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and influential States to intensify pressure on all parties to respect human rights, to engage seriously in advancing transitional justice, uncover the truth, provide reparations to victims, and bring an end to the climate of impunity that continues to fuel ongoing violations.
