On Sunday, the Libyan Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Ministry of Justice announced the release of 466 prisoners in a bid to protect them against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the Ministry added that the detainees had already qualified for conditional release or were in pretrial detention.
The government is attempting to adopt measures to reduce overpopulation in its prisons. This includes granting amnesty for elderly and terminally ill prisoners, in addition to those who have served over half their sentences.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) applauded the Ministry’s move as a “positive first step”, but said “authorities should do more to mitigate the risks of a major COVID-19 outbreak. ” It added that Libyan authorities “need to be prepared to limit the spread of the virus in overcrowded detention facilities and shelters for displaced people.”
Authorities have announced five new cases of Coronavirus in the western city of Misrata on Sunday, bringing the total number of Libya’s confirmed cases to eight. The country’s first case had been confirmed on Tuesday.
Libya has been plagued by conflict since the 2011 overthrow of Muammer Gaddafi.