The Libyan Organisation For Independent Media (LOFIM) issued its annual report, in which it documented violations committed against press freedom in Libya from May 2021 to May 2022.
The report said that the frequency of violations committed against press freedom from May 2021 to May 2022 remained at the same level for the past years. It recorded 14 violations committed against press freedom, including 10 attacks against journalists in five Libyan cities.
The violations included enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, and physical assault. 40% of these violations occurred in Sirte, 20% in Tripoli and Benghazi and 10% in Surman and Ajdabiya.
The report also indicated that female journalists in Libya are specifically targeted. 10% of the total violations was conducted against female journalists.
The LOFIM added that defamation lawsuits, publishing secret news, inflaming public opinion and other lawsuits are still being filed against journalists by law despite the international condemnations of these laws.
The LOFIM called on all state institutions to provide protection for journalists and media institutions. It also urged the Libyan authorities to take further steps to protect press freedom and provide an enabling environment for the media.
It also called on the legislative authority to issue a new law regulating the media in Libya and to abolish legislation that imposes penalties up to death for crimes related to the peaceful expression of opinion.
The report urged the authorities not to try journalists before military courts and to amend the anti-terror law. “Trying citizens before military courts in opinion cases is a grave breach of Libya’s international obligations to protect freedom of opinion and expression,” the report concluded.
Notably, the United States (US) Embassy in Libya called for protecting the journalists and the freedom of expression in Libya.
“In many countries, journalists risk their lives to inform the public and hold governments accountable. On World Press Freedom Day, we must resolve to protect journalists and the freedom of expression, offline and online, in Libya or in any country,” the US Embassy said in Tuesday.
It added that “the detention of 218TV’s Ali al-Rifawi or the extra-judicial killing of blogger Altayeb Elsharari are recent examples showing that there is still work to do in order to guarantee press freedom.”