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Report: Human Rights Violations in Libya during May 2024

Introduction: The Monitoring and Documentation Department of the Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) continued to monitor the human rights situation…
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A security checkpoint for an armed group - social media archive photo
A security checkpoint for an armed group – social media archive photo

Introduction:

The Monitoring and Documentation Department of the Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) continued to monitor the human rights situation and document violations and international crimes committed against civilians throughout Libya during May 2024. Among the most notable violations recorded are three (3) cases of kidnapping, including the disappearance of Libyan parliament member Ibrahim Al-Darsi and the kidnapping of an activist from Tripoli. Additionally, a child was killed and three (3) civilians were injured as a result of armed clashes in Zawya and Tripoli. The toll of migrant deaths continued, with seven (7) bodies found on beaches near Sabratha.

the LCW emphasizes that these figures represent only what has been documented by the field monitoring team and do not necessarily reflect the full extent of the violations that may have occurred during the mentioned period.

Details:

May 1st:

The LCW monitored the arbitrary arrest of the poet Naseeb Al-Skouri from his home in the Azziyat area, 80 kilometres south of Derna, by the Internal Security Agency (ISA). He was taken to the ISA’s prison in Benghazi due to a poem he recited in support of the former regime at a social event. He was released on May 3rd without being presented to the judiciary.

May 10th:

The LCW monitored the kidnapping of social media activist Al-Mu’tasim Billah Adel Abu Jannah by unknown armed men near the Presidential Hospitality Palaces in Tripoli. He was taken to an unknown location, and his fate remains unknown at the time of this report’s publication.

May 11th:

The LCW monitored the find of seven (7) decomposed unidentified bodies believed to belong to migrants. The bodies were found on the Militta beach near Sabratha and were retrieved and transported to Sabratha Hospital by the Red Crescent team from the Sabratha branch.

May 14th:

The LCW monitored the death of 11-year-old Nihal Al-Fateh Al-Sadiq, who was killed by a bullet while passing by car with her father in the Krimia area south of Tripoli, near armed clashes between the 3rd Infantry Division of the General Staff of the Government of National Unity and the General Security and Stabilization Agency of the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Unity.

May 16th:

The LCW monitored the kidnapping of Libyan House of Representatives member Ibrahim Abu Bakr Al-Darsi by unknown armed men on the evening of Thursday, May 16th. His car was found in the Sidi Faraj area east of Benghazi with blood stains inside. Since then, contact with him has been lost, and his fate remains unknown at the time of this report’s publication.

May 18th:

The LCW monitors the injury of three civilians, including a child, by random gunfire due to clashes in Zawya city between the Stability Support Apparatus of the Libyan Presidential Council and the First Support Force of the Zawiya Security Directorate. The clashes resulted in the deaths of several armed men from both sides, damage to several homes and civilian properties due to falling shells and bullets, and the suspension of classes at Zawya University for one day for the safety of the students.

May 21st:

The LCW monitors the injury of three children with serious wounds due to the explosion of a landmine left from the war in their home’s yard in the Airport Road area south of Tripoli. One of the children sustained head injuries from shrapnel, and his condition remains critical.

Recommendations:

  • The Libya Crimes Watch calls on the judicial authorities in Libya to open a fair and transparent investigation into the clashes that took place in Zawya city, to identify those responsible for endangering the lives of civilians, and to hold them accountable according to the law.
  • The Libya Crimes Watch calls on the Government of National Unity and the Libyan Presidential Council to take the necessary measures to ensure that such violations are not repeated and to assume their responsibilities towards the protection of civilians and civil facilities throughout Libya, in accordance with their international legal obligations.
  • The Libya Crimes Watch calls on the authorities in eastern Libya to reveal the fate of House of Representatives member Ibrahim Al-Darsi. The organization urges the opening of an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance.
  • The Libya Crimes Watch calls on the judicial authorities to conduct independent and transparent investigations to identify those responsible for planting landmines and to hold them accountable. The organization also calls on the relevant authorities to make greater efforts in clearing landmines and war remnants in populated areas.