On Saturday, the Office of the Prosecutor General assigned a force affiliated to the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Accord (GNA) to protect the Libyan Studies Centre and prevent any party from entering it.
This came following suspicious attempts to control the headquarters of the centre and requests for evacuation. The centre contains 27 million historical documents, some of which relate to the lineage and origins of the Libyan people and the Libyan borders.
Notably, the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) of the Government of National Accord gave the Libyan Studies Centre three days to vacate and hand over its headquarters. This put 27 million documents preserving the most important material of national history at risk.
The GAIAE demanded the building of the Libyan Studies Centre raise the rent value from 2,000 dinars to 96,000 dinars per month. After the centre failed to meet the GAIAE’s demand, they gave the centre 3 days to hand over the headquarters or administratively seize it.
The Libyan Studies Centre is located in the heart of the capital, Tripoli, and is classified by UNESCO as a human heritage institution.