The Deputy Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi received the Minister of Justice of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Halima Ibrahim.
The meeting discussed the conditions of prisons and the delays in issuing judgments in several cases. This has contributed to the imprisonment of people for longer periods, without trial.
Al-Lafi called for ensuring that prisoners are “treated humanely, their basic rights are respected, and that their cases be brought before the judiciary.”
Ibrahim expressed her commitment to “improving the conditions of prisoners, ensuring that their cases are dealt with in a timely manner, and working with the concerned authorities to expedite criminal sentencing procedures.”
In January 2023, the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya said that the Libyan authorities “must take decisive steps to provide justice and redress to the vast number of victims suffering from longstanding violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.”
In a statement following its visit to Libya, the UN mission said that “victims and their families are impatient for authorities to provide timely information on investigations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
“The families of these victims have waited far too long for justice,” said Mohamed Auajjar, Chairman of the mission, which comprises fellow rights experts Tracy Robinson and Chaloka Beyani. “Libyan authorities owe it to them to share information about their loved ones, to meet them, and give them answers. Silence is unacceptable.”
“We, too, have asked repeatedly for answers to the status of multiple investigations concerning serious human rights violations, but to date, there has been no satisfactory response,” Auajjar said.
In January 2022, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said in a report that thousands of detainees are held illegally and often in inhumane conditions in facilities controlled by armed groups or secret facilities in Libya. He added that over 12,000 detainees are held officially in 27 prisons and detention facilities across Libya, according to a report obtained by the Associated Press (AP.)
Guterres said in the report that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) continues to document cases of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and other violations of international law in facilities operated by the government and other groups.
He noted the thousands of detainees who do not appear in the official statistics provided by Libyan authorities – over 12,000 – are unable to challenge the legal basis for their continued detention.