INTRODUCTION

In June, Libya witnessed an alarming escalation in serious human rights violations and international crimes perpetrated against civilians by armed groups and security agencies, most notably in the form of arbitrary arrests. This surge occurred amid a persistent absence of genuine will for accountability and the continued failure of Libyan authorities to uphold their human rights obligations.

During the month, LCW’s field team documented the killing of one (1) civilian in Benghazi and the death of one (1) activist in Tripoli following his arbitrary detention in Sorman. The team also recorded the arbitrary detention of twenty-three (23) civilians, including two children, activists, and eight foreign nationals, from the cities of Sirte, Benghazi, Ubari.

The field team also monitored the recovery of fifteen (15) bodies believed to belong to migrants found on the shores of Tobruk, Sabratha, and Tripoli, a stark indication of ongoing serious violations against migrants and the failure of authorities to take effective measures to protect their lives.

LCW holds legally responsible for the documented cases of extrajudicial killing and arbitrary detention this month the following entities: the 20/20 Battalion of the Tariq Ben Zeyad Brigade (TBZ) under the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF); the Internal Security Agency (ISA) affiliated with the Libyan Government accredited by the House of Representatives (HoR), and the ISA in western Libya, and the Libyan Attorney General’s Office, and the Government of National Unity (GNU). These entities either directly perpetrated these violations, enabled their occurrence, or failed to take the necessary measures to prevent them and to hold those responsible accountable.

LCW emphasises that the incidents detailed in this report do not capture the full scope or scale of violations committed during the month. Instead, they are limited to cases that our field team was able to verify and document, and for which LCW obtained informed consent from the victims or their families to publish, while taking care to withhold any information that could jeopardise or pose a risk to their safety.

DETAILS

June 1

On 1 June, Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) monitored the discovery of one (1) unidentified body, believed to belong to a migrant, on the shoreline in the city of Sabratha. The body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Sabratha branch and transferred to Sabratha General Hospital to complete legal procedures.

June 2

LCW documented the arbitrary detention of Hussein Kanah Agreirah (31 years old), head of the Libyan–Libyan Dialogue Committee, who was arrested on 2 June from his father’s home in Ubari, southern Libya, by the Internal Security Agency (ISA) affiliated with the Libyan Government accredited by the House of Representatives (HoR). He was taken to the ISA’s detention facility in Sabha, where he remains detained at the time of reporting.

On the same day, LCW also monitored the discovery of one (1) unidentified body, believed to belong to a migrant, on the shore in Souq al-Jumaa, Tripoli. The body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Tripoli branch and transferred to the hospital to complete legal procedures.

June 5

On 5 June, LCW documented the extrajudicial killing of Murad Mansour Al-Madhkur (51 years old) in Benghazi after he was shot by armed men affiliated with the 20/20 Battalion of the Tariq ben Zeyad brigade (TBZ) under the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). Three (3) of his brothers were also arbitrarily detained for several hours before being released without any legal proceedings.

Video footage verified by LCW shows two armed men in civilian clothing, identified as affiliated with the battalion, storming the victim’s farm in the Sidi Faraj area, east of the city, and shooting him, wounding him with two bullets that led to his transfer to Venicia Hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, the same armed men later entered the hospital and extrajudicially executed him inside, while also detaining his three brothers. Family sources indicated that the victim and his family had been subjected to pressure and intimidation for about a month over their refusal to sell the farm to individuals linked to the battalion.

June 10

LCW documented the discovery of two (2) unidentified bodies, believed to belong to migrants, on the shore in the Tajoura area of Tripoli. And that was Between 8 and 10 June. The bodies were recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Tripoli branch and transferred to the hospital to complete legal procedures.

June 11

On 11 June, LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) body, believed to belong to a migrant, on the shoreline in Al-Qarah Bolly, east of Tripoli. The body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Tripoli branch and transferred to Al-Qarah Bolly General Hospital to complete legal procedures.

June 13

LCW documented the arbitrary arrest of fourteen (14) individuals who were participating in the “Al-Soumoud Convoy” in Sirte, including activists and bloggers. They were detained on June 13 by the ISA, affiliated with the Libyan Government, accredited by the HoR, after the Convoy was blocked from continuing its journey through the city, and its food and medical supplies were cut off.

The detainees included four Tunisians, three Algerians, one Sudanese national, and six Libyans. They were all released on 17 and 18 June after several days of detention without legal proceedings. Some reported that personal belongings were confiscated by the ISA.

In a related incident, LCW also documented the arbitrary arrest of five (5) Sirte residents, including two children, by the ISA Sirte branch. They were detained for providing assistance and participating in the convoy and were released the following day, June 14, without any legal process.

These arrests took place after the “Al-Soumoud Convoy” arrived in Sirte, central Libya, having come from Tunisia and heading towards the Rafah crossing on the Gaza–Egypt border, to push for lifting the complete blockade and allowing humanitarian aid to enter.

On the same day, 13 June, LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) unidentified body, believed to belong to a migrant, on Tallil Al-Jurf beach in Sabratha. The body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Sabratha branch and transferred to Sabratha Teaching Hospital to complete legal procedures.

June 21

LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) body belonging to a migrant on the shore in Sabratha. On 21 June, the body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Sabratha branch and transferred to Sabratha Teaching Hospital for legal procedures.

On the same day, 21 June, LCW monitored the discovery of one (1) unidentified body, believed to belong to a migrant, on Wadi Buqashata in Tobruk. The body was recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Tobruk branch in cooperation with the General Directorate of Coastal Security Tobruk, and transferred to the hospital to complete legal procedures before being buried the next day in the Islamic cemetery of Tobruk.

June 22

Between 13 and 22 June, LCW monitored the discovery of seven (7) bodies belonging to Sudanese migrants on various shores in Tobruk. This followed the sinking of a boat carrying thirty-seven (37) migrants headed for Europe on 13 June. One person was rescued, while twenty-nine (29) remain missing.

The bodies were found on Um Aqhaiqih beach, Al-Awda beach, and Um Al-Maqareen beach. They were recovered by the Libyan Red Crescent Tobruk branch, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Coastal Security Tobruk, and transferred to the Tobruk Medical Centre to complete legal procedures.

June 30

On 30 June, LCW documented the arbitrary arrest of Activist Abdel Moneim Rajab Al-Marimi (51 years old), after his car was stopped while he was accompanied by his two children in the city of Sorman. He was apprehended by members of the ISA Sorman’s branch, and he was taken to the agency’s branch in the city, while the two children were left unattended in the car.

On 3 July, according to a statement issued by the Libyan Attorney General’s Office, Al-Marimi fell from the third floor of the prosecutor’s headquarters after being referred there. He sustained severe injuries and was transferred to the hospital, where he passed away the following day, 4 July.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) calls on authorities in both eastern and western Libya to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under international human rights law, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of movement, the right to humanitarian work, and the right to show solidarity with peoples affected by armed conflicts and occupation.
  LCW also urges an immediate end to arbitrary detention and the systematic targeting of civilians, especially human rights defenders, activists, and peaceful dissenters, emphasising that such violations constitute serious breaches of fundamental rights, perpetuate a climate of fear and impunity, and undermine efforts to achieve justice and the rule of law.
  
  
• LCW calls on the Libyan Attorney General to launch an independent and transparent investigation into all violations documented during the month, particularly those affecting participants in the “Al-Soumoud Convoy” headed to Gaza, including arbitrary arrests, obstruction of the convoy’s movement, cutting off food and medical supplies, and the confiscation of participants’ belongings. LCW stresses the necessity of holding all responsible parties accountable and ensuring their prosecution in accordance with international standards of fair trial.

• LCW reiterates its call on Libyan authorities to fulfil their responsibilities in protecting the lives of migrants along desert and sea migration routes, and to cooperate with relevant international organisations to establish effective mechanisms for search and rescue, determination of the fate of the missing, and ensuring the identification of human remains. LCW also demands an independent and transparent investigation into drowning incidents and violations related to human trafficking, with perpetrators held accountable in line with international accountability standards.

• LCW urges the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reconsider its decision to suspend investigations in Libya by the end of 2025, given the risk this poses of entrenching impunity amid the absence of will, capacity, and effectiveness within the national judiciary, and its failure to meet its obligations and uphold the complementarity principle set forth in the Rome Statute.

• LCW calls on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and influential states to intensify pressure on all parties to respect human rights and to engage seriously in transitional justice efforts, including truth-telling, reparations for victims, and ending the impunity that fuels ongoing violations.