The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the arrest and subsequent enforced disappearance of Abdel Nasser Al‑Suwaii, former President of the Libyan Football Federation, North Africa Advisor, and Secretary at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), since the evening of 14 June 2026, under circumstances raising serious concerns regarding his safety and fate.
According to information documented by CFJ, Al‑Suwaii contacted a family member shortly before his disappearance through a brief phone call, during which he indicated that he had been threatened and feared being abducted. Communication with him was subsequently lost. His family later reported that his vehicle was found near the Injila area, west of Tripoli, without any official information being provided regarding his whereabouts or the party responsible for his disappearance.
Available information indicates that Al‑Suwaii’s disappearance occurred days after his involvement in activities related to the sports sector, including meetings with representatives of several Libyan football clubs, amid reports that he had secured support for a bid to run in the elections for the presidency of the Libyan Football Federation.
The Committee for Justice expressed deep concern over the continued absence of any official information regarding Al‑Suwaii’s fate or place of detention, raising serious fears that he may have been subjected to enforced disappearance or detention outside the framework of the law.
CFJ stressed that the deprivation of liberty without a legal basis, or the refusal to disclose the whereabouts or fate of a detained person, constitutes a grave violation of fundamental rights protected under international human rights law and exposes the victim to the risk of serious abuses and ill‑treatment.
The Committee for Justice calls on the relevant Libyan authorities to immediately disclose the fate and whereabouts of Abdel Nasser Al‑Suwaii, ensure his physical and psychological safety, and allow his family and lawyer to communicate with him without restriction. CFJ also calls for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and for accountability for any violations he may have suffered.
The Committee further emphasizes the need to respect legal safeguards relating to personal liberty and due process, and to end all practices of unlawful detention and enforced disappearance that undermine the rule of law and deepen distrust in justice institutions.
