On Friday, Libya’s High National Election Commission (HNEC) condemned what it described as “criminal assaults” on its electoral offices in the Western Coastal region and the city of Al-Zawiya, warning that these attacks are deliberate attempts to sabotage the democratic process and deny citizens their constitutional right to vote.
According to the commission, the Western Coastal Electoral Administration Office was set ablaze in the early hours of Friday, resulting in the complete destruction of the building.
In Al-Zawiya, attackers targeted the main storage facility, destroying vital ballot materials, as well as a training hall used to prepare election staff.
HNEC said these incidents represent a direct assault on the integrity of the electoral process, stressing that such acts will not deter it from fulfilling its national mandate to organize free and fair elections that meet the highest international standards. The commission called on security agencies to take full responsibility for tracking down and prosecuting those responsible, and to ensure that all electoral facilities across Libya are protected.
The statement also urged political leaders, civil society, and the public to unite in defending the electoral process, emphasizing that safeguarding the will of the Libyan voter is a collective responsibility.
These attacks come amid an increasingly tense political and security climate, with Libya still struggling to prepare for long-delayed national elections. Observers warn that targeting election infrastructure—particularly the destruction of ballot materials and training facilities—poses serious logistical challenges that could delay or disrupt any planned polls.
