Libya Faces Criticism Over Suppression of Fundamental Freedoms

Libya Faces Criticism Over Suppression of Fundamental Freedoms
—————————————-
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned Libya’s judicial authorities for undermining fundamental freedoms, according to its report titled “Injustice By Design: Need for Comprehensive Justice Reform in Libya,” as per an article published on Jurist News.

The report highlights serious due process violations in both civil and military courts, reluctance to investigate human rights abuses, and an outdated Penal Code that fails to address international crimes.

Libya’s Penal Code, largely unchanged since the era of former leader Muammar Gaddafi (1976–2011), permits arbitrary detention and curbs civil society activities. Article 207, for example, imposes the death penalty for promoting acts against the state’s political, social, or economic order. HRW urges Libyan lawmakers to repeal such provisions and align legislation with international human rights standards.

The rights group also calls on Libyan authorities to respect fair trial standards, reform the judiciary, and ratify the UN Convention against Torture. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports that approximately 8,000 detainees in Libya suffer torture.

Since Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, Libya has been politically divided. The Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, controls Tripoli, while the House of Representatives (HoR), headed by Prime Minister Ossama Hammad and backed by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces under Khalifa Haftar, controls the east. Although a 2020 ceasefire ended open conflict, militia violence has recently increased.