On Sunday, Libya’s Criminal Investigation Department announced the freeing of a Sudanese migrant who was being held and tortured by human traffickers in Sebha, southern Libya.
In a statement, the Investigation Department added that the migrant was transferred to a hospital for treatment. The traffickers had reportedly demanded a ransom of up to 20,000 Libyan dinars to release the victim.
Legal measures are being taken against the kidnappers, who were referred to the competent authorities.
This is the latest in a string of reports of torture endured by migrants, as they pass through Libya on their dangerous journey to Europe.
Ravaged by war since the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has descended into lawlessness and violence. Criminal gangs and militias continue to hold sway in the country, and human trafficking has become a lucrative industry for them.
Notably, Libya ranked 20th among the insecure countries, according to the Numbeo Crime Index. The war-torn country was rated 62.00 in the crime index, a high rating.
Tripoli ranked 50th in the world, in the Crime Index classification for cities, and the second in the Arab world, with Damascus coming first. Tripoli received 64.27 degrees on the crime index, a high crime level.
The Crime Prevalence Index aims to assess the general level of crime in 135 countries around the world. The crime index is based on several criteria; such as murder, robbery, and rape.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it has documented a number of cases of illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of civilians, officials, journalists, civil society members, Migrants and human rights activists in Tripoli during the past year.
“Under international human rights law, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Torture enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are strictly prohibited, as are abductions and kidnappings,” UNSMIL has said.