EU Demands Investigation into Death of Libyan Activist

Activist Siraj Dughman (Social media)
Activist Siraj Dughman (Social media)
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EU Demands Investigation into Death of Libyan Activist

Activist Siraj Dughman (Social media)
Activist Siraj Dughman (Social media)

The delegation of the European Union (EU) and the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States in Libya expressed in a joint statement on Monday their grave concern after activist Siraj Dughman was reported dead in a Benghazi prison.

"We are gravely concerned about the circumstances of his death and strongly urge a comprehensive, transparent, and independent investigation of the incident." The statement reads.

The statement noted that Dughman’s arrest, similar to those of numerous other civil society representatives and activists, citizens and foreigners, was not followed by any subsequent formal charges or court proceedings.

"The arbitrary arrests or detentions are starkly at odds with Libya’s own legal framework. We call for the immediate release of all individuals arbitrarily detained and reassert the importance of adherence to due process and the rule of law across Libya. We stand with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in calling for the cessation of abductions, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests or detentions throughout the country."

It also indicated that the EU and its Member States remained committed to supporting Libya on its journey toward stability and national reconciliation, emphasizing the necessity of legal and procedural reforms to prevent further injustices and pave the way toward a Libya in which all people can enjoy their rights.

Political activist Dughman was arrested more than six months ago along with former member of the Transitional Council Fathi Al-Baja, and the political activist Tariq Al-Bashari, without referring them to prosecution or charging them with any crimes, before the authorities in Benghazi announced his death in his prison cell in mid-April. The Internal Security Agency in Benghazi said that Dughman had died while trying to escape from the bathroom in his prison. However, activists said the incident seemed like a killing, adding that the circumstances of his death were unnatural.



Stormy Weather Sweeps Away Tents Belonging to Displaced People in Gaza

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Stormy Weather Sweeps Away Tents Belonging to Displaced People in Gaza

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Weather is compounding the challenges facing displaced people in Gaza, where heavy rains and dropping temperatures are making tents and other temporary shelters uninhabitable.

Government officials in the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave said on Monday that nearly 10,000 tents had been swept away by flooding over the past two days, adding to their earlier warnings about the risks facing those sheltering in low-lying floodplains, including areas designated as humanitarian zones.

Um Mohammad Marouf, a mother who fled bombardments in northern Gaza and now is sheltering with her family in a Gaza City tent said the downpour had covered her children and left everyone wet and vulnerable.

“We have nothing to protect ourselves,” she said outside the United Nations-provided tent where she lives with 10 family members.

Marouf and others living in rows of cloth and nylon tents hung their drenched clothing on drying lines and re-erected their tarpaulin walls on Monday.

Officials from the Hamas-run government said that 81% of the 135,000 tents appeared unfit for shelter, based on recent assessments, and blamed Israel for preventing the entry of additional needed tents. They said many had been swept away by seawater or were inadequate to house displaced people as winter sets in.

The UNestimates that around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are living in squalid tent camps with little food, water or basic services. Israeli evacuation warnings now cover around 90% of the territory.

“The first rains of the winter season mean even more suffering. Around half a million people are at risk in areas of flooding. The situation will only get worse with every drop of rain, every bomb, every strike,” UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote in a statement on X on Monday.