The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the arrest of journalist Mustafa Khalifa Al‑Sheikh, 38, and his brother Mohamed Al‑Sheikh, 41, following a raid on their home in the Al‑Barakat area, south of the city of Ghat, on 22 September 2026 by armed personnel affiliated with the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, before both men were taken to an undisclosed location.
According to information documented by CFJ, the whereabouts and fate of the two brothers remain unknown, amid the absence of any information regarding the authority currently holding them or the conditions of their detention.
Available information indicates that their arrest may be linked to the opposition activities of their brother, Bashir Al‑Sheikh, toward authorities in eastern Libya, as well as his media work within what is known as the “Southern Liberation Operations Room.”
The Committee for Justice considers the detention of Mustafa and Mohamed on the basis of the activities of a family member to be a violation of the rights to liberty and personal security. The concealment of their whereabouts and their inability to communicate with their families and legal representatives further raise serious concerns regarding their safety and conditions of detention.
CFJ calls for the immediate disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of Mustafa and Mohamed Al‑Sheikh, guarantees for their physical and psychological safety, and access to communication with their families and lawyers.
The Committee further calls for their immediate release unless they are charged with specific criminal offenses in accordance with the law, and stresses that any judicial proceedings against them must fully comply with fair trial guarantees and applicable national and international legal standards.
