International concern over the wave of executions in Libya
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed its deep concern following reports of more than 30 executions in recent weeks in the eastern region of the country, a territory that is under the control of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Given this situation, the international body has urged local authorities to immediately halt any further application of the death penalty.
Through an official statement, UNSMIL highlighted that the return of executions raises serious questions about the respect for human rights. At a time when the country seeks to strengthen citizen trust in its institutions, the rule of law, and national reconciliation, these acts represent a significant setback.
The mission has maintained intense contacts with the authorities so that they suspend the execution of the death sentences and submit the cases to a thorough and credible review, in accordance with Libya’s human rights commitments.
Opposing positions and imminent risks
The Government of National Unity (GNU), based in the west and led by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeiba, also spoke out against these actions. The Executive strongly condemned the executions and warned that the existence of detention centers and judicial procedures outside the unified national authority fosters an environment of recurring violations of fundamental rights.
For their part, various international organizations have warned about the vulnerable situation of the inmates. According to collected data, at least 50 people sentenced to death in eastern Libya face an imminent risk of execution by Haftar’s forces. Reports indicate that the judicial processes have been described as:
- Secretive and gravely unfair trials.
- Procedures marked by the use of torture.
- Proceedings held before military tribunals without the necessary guarantees.
Many of those convicted were prosecuted for crimes related to terrorism or murders during the armed conflict recorded between 2014 and 2018. Libya continues to experience prolonged political and institutional instability, marked by the division between rival administrations in the east and west of the territory, which complicates the unification of judicial criteria and compliance with international justice standards.
