The Committee for Justice (CFJ) stated that Libya continues to face a deep and escalating human rights crisis more than a decade after the 2011 revolution. The ongoing armed conflict, institutional collapse, and widespread impunity have contributed to a sharp rise in serious human rights violations, particularly targeting human rights defenders, journalists, migrants, and civil society organizations in the country.
The CFJ submitted a parallel report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism for Libya, during the fourth cycle scheduled to take place in 2025. The report focused on the Libyan authorities’ continued violation of their obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. It also highlighted their failure to implement any meaningful reforms since previous UPR cycles, leading to a worsening human rights situation in the country.
The report shed light on cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests, particularly targeting human rights activists. For instance, it highlighted the case of elected politician Sihem Serghewa, whose fate remains unknown to this day. Additionally, the report condemned General Instruction No. 5803, issued by Libyan authorities in 2023, which ordered the cancellation of licenses for all non-governmental organizations registered since 2011—a clear violation of Libya’s international obligations regarding freedom of association.
The report also pointed to the inhumane conditions in detention centers, where migrants and refugees are subjected to torture, sexual violence, extortion, and human trafficking on a wide scale. These abuses occur in facilities run by armed groups and official Libyan entities, with no oversight or accountability mechanisms in place.
The CFJ documented harrowing testimonies of brutal torture, such as the case of a young Yemeni man who was severely beaten following a visit by representatives of the Yemeni consulate in Libya. He was systematically subjected to violence inside a detention center operated by the Deterrence Forces.
The report further emphasized the violations committed against migrants, including systematic torture, deprivation of food and water, and detention in inhumane conditions. The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya documented extensive evidence that crimes against humanity, including rape, slavery, and enforced disappearances, are being committed against migrants in detention centers.
Regarding restrictions on freedom of expression and movement, the report noted that Libyan authorities rely on vague legislation to criminalize criticism and peaceful expression. Provisions in Libya’s Penal Code have been used to penalize “defamation” and “spreading false information,” leading to widespread self-censorship among journalists and activists.
Checkpoints scattered across the country are also used to target activists, lawyers, and journalists, with arbitrary searches of their phones and electronic devices. The CFJ documented cases of enforced disappearances of several activists, such as Mansour Mahmoud Ati, who was arbitrarily detained for months without his family being informed of his fate.
In its report, the CFJ calls on United Nations member states to urge Libyan authorities to take concrete, time-bound steps to address these violations. The recommendations include:
– Repealing laws that criminalize civil society work, halting arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, ensuring accountability for torture and mistreatment, and ending impunity for perpetrators.
– Urging Libyan authorities to improve detention center conditions, end violations against migrants, and ensure full cooperation with international and regional human rights mechanisms.
– The CFJ affirms that these efforts are part of its commitment to supporting accountability mechanisms and promoting human rights in North Africa, emphasizing the need to end impunity and address the root causes of this ongoing crisis.