The Libyan Parliament has strongly rejected any attempt by the United Kingdom or other countries to seize or utilise Libya’s frozen assets held abroad, calling such actions a “blatant violation” of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a statement issued by the Parliamentary Committee for Investigating Libyan Frozen Funds Abroad, lawmakers condemned recent discussions in the UK’s House of Lords regarding the possible use of Libyan assets to compensate victims of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The committee cited UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 (2011), which explicitly prohibit tampering with Libyan funds frozen overseas.
The UK has previously ruled out using the assets to pay compensation, although it has acknowledged that former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime supplied weapons to the IRA during its conflict with Britain. Among these were large quantities of Semtex explosives, reportedly used in several IRA bombings.
Committee head Yousef Al-Aqouri warned that any action to appropriate Libyan funds would be seen as “an unacceptable and unjustified act” and a direct assault on the Libyan people’s national resources. He added that Libya reserves the right to take all necessary legal and diplomatic measures to safeguard its financial assets and prevent their misuse.
“This issue is a national priority that cannot be compromised or negotiated,” Aqouri stressed, urging countries hosting Libyan assets to comply with international obligations and respect Libya’s sovereignty.
The statement concluded with a call for friendly nations to uphold international law and support mutual interests through respectful bilateral relations. Libyan lawmakers warned that failure to do so would damage diplomatic ties and undermine global trust in the international financial system.
The frozen assets, valued in the billions, remain a sensitive and politically charged issue amid Libya’s ongoing struggle for stability and sovereignty.
