On Wednesday, Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) exposed a series of grave human rights violations committed across Libya in December 2024.
Security forces, armed groups, and military factions are implicated in widespread abuses against civilians, with authorities in both eastern and western Libya failing to act against these violations.
One of the most harrowing cases involved the death of 44-year-old Adel Abdel Salam Muftah Al-Warfalli. He died from injuries inflicted during torture at the Department of Information and General Investigations in Ajdabiya, affiliated with the Ministry of Interior under the House of Representatives-backed government. Al-Warfalli was hospitalized on December 6 due to a brain hemorrhage caused by the abuse and passed away nine days later.
LCW also documented two cases of arbitrary detention. Human rights activist Haitham Al-Warfalli, 34, was arrested in Benghazi and held for four days without due process before being released on December 19.
Similarly, Mu’adh Muhammad Al-Hashimi, 37, the director of the Investment Office of the Islamic Call Society, was detained by armed men linked to the Ministry of Interior under the Government of National Unity. He was released after 10 days of detention on December 26, also without legal justification.
The report also highlighted the death of a 64-year-old Syrian migrant due to torture while in detention. The man had been arrested on November 26 in Al-Bayda and held for 24 days before being released on December 20. The injuries sustained during his detention proved fatal.
LCW further uncovered the remains of 15 migrants, including one woman, near the shores of Tripoli, Al-Zawiya, Zliten, and Benghazi. Additionally, two decomposed bodies were exhumed from a mass grave in Tarhuna, a city infamous for such atrocities.
The organization emphasized that these documented cases represent only the abuses its field team could verify, suggesting the true extent of violations is far greater.
LCW has called on Libyan authorities to uphold their legal obligations to protect civilians and ensure justice for victims. It urged the Attorney General to conduct transparent investigations into all documented cases of torture and extrajudicial killings and to hold perpetrators accountable.
The organization also called on the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and key international actors to increase pressure on Libyan factions to respect human rights, end impunity, and support efforts toward transitional justice and reconciliation.
LCW appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reconsider its decision to suspend investigations in Libya at the end of 2025, stressing the importance of accountability to prevent further atrocities.
