Libya’s Attorney General’s Office announced on Friday the release of 538 inmates from various correctional and rehabilitation institutions after they fulfilled their financial penalties.
The move comes in accordance with Decision No. 18 of 2025 issued by the Supreme Judicial Council, which grants pardons to certain prisoners who have met the required conditions. The Attorney General’s Office confirmed that judicial authorities had reviewed the cases of all released inmates to ensure they had paid the fines imposed on them.
The mass release is part of broader judicial reforms aimed at alleviating overcrowding in Libyan prisons and promoting rehabilitation. However, legal experts have raised concerns about whether the process ensures fair and equal treatment for all inmates.
Libya’s prison system has faced ongoing scrutiny over conditions and the prolonged detention of individuals without trial. Human rights organisations have called for further judicial transparency and improved legal processes to prevent arbitrary detentions.
This release follows previous government initiatives to ease prison congestion and reintegrate eligible inmates into society. Authorities have not disclosed whether similar pardons will be issued in the future.
