Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Libyan armed groups linked to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) of using heavy weapons to disperse anti-corruption rallies last month in the capital and of detaining, torturing and forcibly disappearing protesters.
HRW said the militias used machine guns and vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft guns against protesters, allegedly killing one and wounding others in late August. At least 24 people, including a local reporter, were detained and beaten, it said.
“Political divisions and security concerns do not justify armed groups coming at protesters with machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons to intimidate them and disperse protests,” said Hanan Salah, senior Libya researcher for HRW. “Tripoli authorities should investigate and publicly disclose the names of the armed groups and commanders who failed to comply with basic policing standards and hold them to account.”
Last month, hundreds of Libyans took to the streets of Tripoli and other cities under Sarraj to protest deteriorating economic conditions.
At the time, Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga acknowledged that a militia group, which he did not name, had fired live ammunition at the peaceful protesters and that an investigation was underway.
Subsequently, Sarraj briefly relieved Bashaga of his duties for questioning.
Earlier, Sarraj had said in a televised speech that protesters did not have a permit to gather and announced a 24-hour curfew to fight the coronavirus pandemic, a move that protesters believed was meant to keep them from rallying.
The New York-based rights group named three militias with ties to Sarraj's government as the perpetrators of the violations, including the Interior Ministry-linked Al-Nawasi Brigade, the Special Deterrence Force and General Security.
Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 19 people, including demonstrators, their relatives and friends and examined photographs and video of security forces using excessive force.
HRW cited relatives and friends of two released protesters who were held in a military base for four days as saying both men told them they were tortured and forced to sign pledges that they would not engage in any future anti-government rallies. A recent media report said 13 protesters were released and that around eight remain in custody.
“Criminal justice authorities should promptly present all remaining detainees to a judge to determine the legality of their detention and should either charge them promptly with a crime or release them, as detention before trial should be the exception not the rule,” the HRW report said.
