Two alleged torture-related killings in western Libya have renewed concerns over the influence of armed groups in Tripoli and the persistent lack of accountability for abuses committed by militias operating outside effective state control.
The incidents occurred within days of each other in the Warshefana area south of Tripoli and involved two Libyan civilians identified as Obaid Masoud Mohammed Al-Shalali and Munir Al-Mahdi Ali Al-Ajdal.
According to the National Institution for Human Rights in Libya, both men died after being detained by armed individuals allegedly affiliated with the 55th Infantry Brigade, a militia active in western Libya.
Human rights sources reported that Al-Shalali was abducted from a café in the town of Al-Zahra before being taken to an unofficial detention facility. Al-Ajdal was reportedly seized from his home by armed men and transferred to another site in the municipality of Al-Maya.
Rights groups say both men were subjected to severe torture while in detention and later died inside facilities believed to be controlled by the same armed group.
The organization stated that these incidents reflect a broader pattern of kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, and mistreatment of civilians by armed factions in areas under their influence.
Such violations, according to the group, continue amid weak judicial oversight and the limited ability of state institutions to monitor detention facilities run by militias.
Following public outrage, the 55th Infantry Brigade released a statement claiming that the two men were killed while attempting to attack one of its military positions.
However, human rights advocates rejected this explanation, arguing that available evidence suggests the victims were detained in separate locations before dying in custody, which could indicate extrajudicial killings.
The aftermath of the incidents has also affected the victims’ families.
According to rights advocates, relatives of the victims reportedly received threats that forced some families to leave their homes in the Warshefana area.
The displacement has made it difficult for them to pursue legal procedures or recover the bodies of their relatives for proper burial.
Human rights organizations have called on Libyan authorities and the Office of the Public Prosecutor to launch an immediate and transparent investigation, transfer the victims’ bodies for forensic examination, and hold those responsible accountable.