Introduction
Nearly 15 years after the fall of former President Muammar Gaddafi, Libya remains split between two rival administrations: the internationally recognised Government of National Unity, located in the western capital of Tripoli, and the rival Government of National Stability based in Benghazi in the east. Amidst this, armed groups have operated with impunity. There have been increased civic space restrictions, including the targeting of NGOs and human rights defenders, journalists and repressions on peaceful protesters.
Association
A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), published in January 2025, highlights the closure of civic space in Libya. It found that authorities use several overbroad and draconian legacy laws to frequently threaten, harass, arbitrarily detain, and attack civil society and activists. As a result, several activists have sought exile, and those who remain are forced to exercise self-censorship.
Additionally, the abusive legal framework makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for CSOs to carry out their work.
“Libyan authorities have used a slew of repressive laws to target civic groups while putting up obstacle after obstacle to prevent them from operating legally. Civic groups cannot function effectively and safely as long as they remain in legal limbo, working in secrecy or constant fear of threat, attack, or arrest,”- Hanan Salah, associate Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/27/libya-civic-space-crushed
Similarly, in its submission to the Universal Period Review (UPR), the Cairo Institute for Human Rights noted that rather than reforms, Libyan authorities have issued a series of laws and decrees tightening executive control over civil society organisations.
Targeting international migrant support NGOs
On 2nd April 2025, the Tripoli-based Internal Security Agency (ISA), affiliated with the Libyan Presidential Council, announced the “closure of the headquarters” of ten international NGOs supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya for alleged involvement in “hostile activities.” The ISA accused the organisations of conspiring to “settle illegal migrants of African origin in Libya”, a plan it called “a hostile act aimed at altering the country’s demographic composition and posing a threat to Libyan society.” The agency also accused the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of being “implicated in these crimes” and announced it would take “deterrent measures” against it. Furthermore, it accused the NGOs of promoting “atheism, Christianism, homosexuality and immorality”.
The move comes following a misinformation social media campaign which claimed that the Government of National Unity (GNU) had agreed to resettle migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the country. This led to an increase in arbitrary arrests of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and saw raids carried out by “security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior” in several cities, including Tripoli, Misrata and Sabratha, according to Libya Crimes Watch (LCW). These developments also fuelled violent attacks and racist and xenophobic hate speech against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya.
In a joint statement, several NGOs condemned the ISA’s decision.
“The ISA’s groundless accusations exacerbate existing xenophobic sentiments and represent a deliberate tactic of scapegoating, especially of Black migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, for Libya’s underlying political and institutional crises.”
- https://www.icj.org/libya-stop-the-crackdown-on-ngos-supporting-migrants-refugees-and-asylum-seekers/
Incidents against HRDs
On 13th March 2025, Libya Crimes Watch documented the arbitrary detention of lawyer Mounir Abeid at his workplace in Benghazi by armed personnel affiliated with the ISA under the Libyan government. Abeid’s detention came after he filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Benghazi and the South Benghazi Prosecution Office against the head of the Municipal Guard for intimidation and imposing restrictions on lawyers accessing their offices at Al-Muhaib Law Firm, where he was employed. Following his detention, the law firm’s office was unlawfully demolished without due legal process.
According to LCW, on 17th May 2025, poet Al-Sanusi Mohamed Khamis Al-Hamri was arbitrarily arrested near his home in the city of Sebha by armed individuals affiliated with the 110th Battalion, which operates under the Tariq Ben Zeyad armed group Brigade of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). His detention appears to be linked to his public support for Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi). During the detention, Al-Hamri’s home was raided and unlawfully searched and his mother was physically assaulted by the armed group, resulting in injuries that required hospitalisation.
On 19th May 2025, Sudanese asylum seeker and activist, Mohammed Adam Arbab, known as (“Tupac”), was subjected to enforced detention for 24 hours at the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Tripoli. He was unlawfully handed over, without any legal procedure, to Libyan authorities in preparation for his forced deportation to Sudan. LCW noted that if “Tupac” were deported to Sudan, he would face grave risks to his life and freedom due to his activism, given the widespread and systematic human rights abuses. Amnesty International called on the Libyan authorities to “ensure that [Tupac] is released immediately and allowed access to the protection of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)”.
‘Public morals’ used to crack down on activism
On 6th November 2024, the Government of National Unity (GNU) announced its plan to introduce a wide range of “morality” measures targeting women and girls in western Libya. This includes restrictive measures on clothing, social interactions, and travel. Acting interior minister, Emad Trabelsi stated that he would employ morality police to monitor social interactions between men and women and to enforce compulsory headdress for women and girls. In a statement, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights (CIHR) stated that this is part of a wider pattern of repression which uses the pretext of safeguarding ‘public morals’ to crack down on activism and civil society. In addition, on 11th November, the Ministry of Youth issued Circular No. 7 of 2024, imposing strict new requirements on youth organisations to ‘preserve national identity and societal norms, and to protect the youth from activities contrary to religious and social norms’. The measures require prior government approval for any trips abroad or activities outside Libya, including on the details of program content, objectives, and the foreign entities involved. CIHR warns that this could likely be used as another mechanism to restrict CSO independence.
Peaceful Assembly
Anti-government protests disrupted
Several repressions have been noted at anti-government protests which called for an end to the GNU.
For instance, on 25th October 2024, at least nine people were arbitrarily detained in the city of Yefren, south of Tripoli, following a demonstration organized by city residents against the presence of armed groups in Yefren. During the protest, security forces fired shots, injuring one protester. Among those detained were a municipal council member and two city elders, who were released after three days, while the remaining detainees are still being held.
Following heavy infighting by armed groups and state security actors on 12th May, protests erupted calling for an end to violence in Tripoli, resulting in the deaths of several civilians and a police officer, as well as extensive damage to civilian property, including hospitals. It is reported that armed groups used live ammunition to disperse widespread anti-government protests.
“Civilians caught in the Tripoli fighting are once again bearing the brunt of reckless, unaccountable armed groups who show utter disregard for the lives of people when they fire heavy weapons in residential areas... All armed groups are required to protect civilians from harm during clashes and the authorities need to ensure their right to peaceful protest.” - Hanan Salah, associate Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/20/libya-civilians-caught-militia-clashes
According to Libya Crimes Watch (LCW), on 7th July 2025, two activists, Ayman Zamit and Mohamed Aoun, affiliated with the “Intifada Shaab ” movement, in Tripoli, were taken by unidentified armed individuals in a civilian vehicle due to their participation in demonstrations calling for the resignation of authorities in both eastern and western Libya, including the GNU. They were released on 9th July.
Freedom Convoy to Gaza disrupted
On 13th June 2025, fourteen people (four Tunisians, three Algerians, one Sudanese national, and six Libyans) who were participating in the “Al-Soumoud Convoy” in Sirte, including activists and bloggers, were arbitrarily detained by the ISA, affiliated with the Libyan Government, as documented by LCW. This comes after the Convoy was blocked from continuing its journey through the city, and its food and medical supplies were cut off. Organisers said they were subjected to a "systematic siege", with no access to food, water or medicine and communications severely disrupted.
They were all released on 17th and 18th June after several days of detention without legal proceedings. Some reported that personal belongings were confiscated by the ISA. In addition, five Sirte residents, including two children, were also arbitrarily detained by the ISA Sirte branch for providing assistance and participating in the convoy. They were released the following day without any legal process.
The Al-Soumoud Convoy”, is a humanitarian mission heading towards the Rafah crossing on the Gaza–Egypt border, to push for lifting the complete blockade and allowing humanitarian aid to enter.
Expression
Incidents against journalists
On 6th January 2025, a journalist was arbitrarily detained by armed men belonging to the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA) of the Presidential Council near the Souq Al-Thalath in central Tripoli, due to his participation in protests against the GNU. He was released nine days after his arbitrary detention.
On 10th January 2025, two journalists and one political activist were arbitrarily detained by armed men from the Counter-Terrorism Department of the General Administration of Security Operations (GASO) of the Ministry of Interior of the GNU in Misrata. They were detained for coordinating peaceful protests against the GNU and were released the next day.
On 13th March 2025, journalist Salhine Zerouali appeared in military court for the first time since his detention in May 2024. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), although several charges — such as possession of weapons and membership in terrorist groups — have been dropped by the military prosecutor, the Zerouali, who has worked with several media outlets, including the Al Ghaïma news agency, is still being prosecuted for reporting for outlets considered hostile by the authorities. His family and lawyer have raised fair trial concerns.
As reported by LCW, on 7 August 2025, blogger Mohamed Faraj Sultan al-Gaddafi was arrested following a raid on his home in Sabha by members of the ISA branch in the city. His personal belongings were confiscated, and he was taken to an undisclosed location. LCW reports that he remains forcibly disappeared at the time of writing.
Detentions and prosecutions over social media publications
On 15th April 2025, a Tripoli court sentenced nine Libyan men, one Libyan woman, and one Pakistani man to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years on charges including “insulting Islam,” “insulting religious sanctities and rituals using the internet,” “calling for the establishment of a banned group,” and “promoting the change of the fundamental principles of the constitution.” In a statement, Amnesty International raised concerns that the “convictions followed a grossly unfair trial marred by egregious violations of due process and international human rights standards.” The accused were arrested following entrapment by a member of the Internal Security Agency (ISA). In addition, AI previously documented that the Tripoli-based ISA subjected dozens of men, women and children to a range of abuses, including enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture.
It called on the Libyan Public Prosecutor to open prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent, and effective investigations into the allegations of human rights violations and for Libyan authorities to immediately quash the convictions and sentences of those imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
There have been several cases where activists have been targeted for posts which criticise the GNU on social media:
● As reported by LCW, on 14 December 2025, activist Haitham Al-Werfali was arbitrarily detained by the ISA in Benghazi after he shared a post on his personal Facebook criticising authorities in eastern Libya. He was released after four days without legal procedures.
● On 6th January 2025, activist Khaled Mohammed Al-Tabeeb was arbitrarily detained by armed men belonging to the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA) of the Presidential Council at his home, west of Tripoli, due to Facebook posts he had made criticizing the GNU. He was released three days later without legal procedures.
● On 22nd January2025, Faisal Rajab Al-Shikhi was arbitrary detained by armed men from the Tariq Bin Ziyad Brigade (TBZ) of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), upon entering the city of Benghazi due to a Facebook video post five years ago which criticised General Khalifa Haftar. He was taken to an unknown location and remains forcibly disappeared.