On Sunday, the National Human Rights Committee of Libya denounced the detention and torture of 200 Egyptian workers in Tarhuna.
These acts are thought to have been committed by armed groups affiliated to the Government of National Accord (GNA).
In videos circulated on social media platforms on Sunday, dozens of Egyptian nationals were filmed while being verbal and physically abused by GNA fighters.
They appeared to force Egyptian captives to stand barefoot on one leg, while their hands were held up. The Egyptian captives are believed to have then been taken to the city of Misrata.
The Committee stated that “such criminal and inhumane acts do not represent the human, social, and national values of Libyan society. We hope this will never affect the historical relations between the Libyan and Egyptian peoples”.
It called on the Ministry of Interior of the GNA and the Attorney General to open a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident.
The organisation called on the perpetrators to be brought to justice, in addition to securing the rapid release of the detained workers.
Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Libya has been marred by chaos.
There have been two rival governments vying for control of the country – the GNA based in Tripoli, and a parallel Interim Government supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country.
The LNA has withdrawn recognition of the GNA, which was formed through the Skhirat Agreement in Morocco, under the auspices of the United Nations in December 2015.
