On Thursday, Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) documented the arbitrary detention of Sudanese activist Mohammed Adam Arbab, widely known as “Tupac,” aged 24, by staff members of the Sudanese Embassy in Tripoli.
According to verified information, the activist was unlawfully detained inside an office at the embassy premises for 24 hours before being handed over, without any legal procedure, to Libyan authorities in preparation for his forced deportation to Sudan.
Tupac is a registered asylum seeker with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tripoli, with official status since November 2024.
As such, he is entitled to protection under international law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which strictly prohibits returning any person to a country where they may face persecution, torture, or life-threatening harm.
If deported to Sudan, Tupac would face grave risks to his life and freedom due to his activism, in a country still engulfed in armed conflict and known for widespread and systematic human rights abuses.
LCW holds both the Sudanese Embassy in Tripoli and the Government of National Unity (GNU) fully responsible for this serious violation of international refugee law and human rights norms. The unlawful arrest and handover of a protected asylum seeker without legal safeguards, judicial process, or transparency constitute a clear case of refoulement, which is prohibited under international and regional legal instruments to which Libya is a party.
LCW urgently calls on the GNU and all relevant authorities in western Libya to immediately and unconditionally release Mohammed Adam Arbab and to halt any plans for his deportation. LCW also urges the UNHCR to take immediate action to secure Tupac’s protection and prevent his return to a country where his life may be in danger.
Libya’s authorities must fulfill their international obligations. Deporting a registered asylum seeker without due process is not only illegal, it is potentially fatal.
