On Wednesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was deeply distressed to learn of the death of a 25-ear-old Sudanese asylum seeker in Tripoli.
In a statement, UNHCR explained that according to reports received, the victim had been beaten and shot before being transported to a hospital by a group of masked armed men. He was transferred to another specialist hospital, where he passed away.
It added that the victim arrived in Libya two years ago. He had fled his home in Darfur due to the conflict, and had been held at Al-Mabani detention center. Following a series of raids and arrests by the Libyan authorities this month, he reportedly escaped a few days ago.
UNHCR extended its deepest condolences to his family and friends, and the wider Sudanese refugee community. It called for an investigation into the killing, and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
The Libyan authorities began a series of arrests and raids this month which have caused considerable fear among asylum seekers and refugees. Thousands of whom have been detained, and many of whom have had their shelters demolished.
The statement noted that UNHCR continues to scale up its assistance to people who have been affected by the security operation.
It also pointed out that UNHCR continues to call on the authorities to respect the human rights and dignity of asylum seekers and refugees at all times, stop their arrests, and release those detained.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International denounced the use of lethal force and other forms of violence against migrants in Libya.
This comes after Libyan security forces and militias in Tripoli launched a security operation, on 1 October in which more than 5,000 men, women and children from Sub-Saharan Africa, were detained.
“On 1 October, armed men from militias and security forces affiliated with Libya’s Interior Ministry violently broke into homes and temporary shelters in the Gargaresh area in Tripoli, home to a sizable population of refugees and migrants, firing rounds of live ammunition, damaging belongings, and stealing valuables,” the organization said.
“Terrified migrants and refugees, including several registered with UNHCR, were then transferred to detention centers in Tripoli, where they are denied regular and confidential access to UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment,” it added.