Libya: CFJ Submits Written Statement to the UN Human Rights Council at its 61st Session on Systematic Violations and Lack of Accountability

The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has submitted a written statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council during its 61st session under Agenda Item 6, in the context of the adoption of the outcome of Libya’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

In its submission, CFJ provides an updated assessment of the human rights situation in Libya, highlighting persistent patterns of violations that remain largely unaddressed despite repeated international recommendations. The statement underscores how institutional fragmentation, the influence of armed groups, and the weakening of judicial institutions continue to undermine accountability and the rule of law.

The statement raises concerns regarding arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, documenting arrests carried out without warrants or judicial oversight and prolonged detention in facilities often controlled by armed actors. CFJ also highlights the repeated failure to implement prosecutorial and judicial release orders, leaving individuals imprisoned despite formal decisions ordering their release.

CFJ further documents the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment in detention facilities, including beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, and denial of medical care, alongside deteriorating detention conditions characterized by overcrowding and lack of adequate healthcare.

The statement also addresses extrajudicial killings and the persistent absence of accountability, noting that unlawful killings continue to occur without credible investigations or prosecution of those responsible.

In addition, the statement highlights the shrinking civic space in Libya, where human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and activists face harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrest for their peaceful activities.

CFJ also documents serious violations against migrants and refugees, including arbitrary mass arrests, prolonged detention without legal basis, and exposure to abuse in unofficial detention facilities.

CFJ calls on Libyan authorities to ensure the effective implementation of UPR recommendations, end arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, prohibit torture and ill-treatment, ensure accountability for unlawful killings, protect civic space, and guarantee the rights of migrants and refugees.