The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed deep concern over the execution of more than 30 people in eastern Libya in recent weeks, calling on authorities to immediately halt further executions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, UNSMIL said it had engaged political and technical authorities after receiving initial reports of the executions and urged them to suspend death sentences pending a credible review of the cases.
The Mission said such reviews should comply with Libya’s obligations under national and international law, including fair trial standards and due process. It expressed regret that the executions went ahead despite its interventions.
UNSMIL referred to an August 26, 2026 statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which said the executions effectively ended Libya’s approximately 15-year de facto moratorium on the death penalty.
The Mission warned that the resumption of executions raised serious human rights concerns at a time when Libya was seeking to strengthen public confidence in state institutions, the rule of law and national reconciliation.
While acknowledging the responsibility of Libyan authorities to prosecute terrorism and other serious crimes, UNSMIL also recognized the suffering of victims and their families and their right to seek justice.
The UN Mission said it remained ready to work with Libyan authorities to strengthen the justice system, promote compliance with the country’s human rights obligations and uphold protections for the right to life and fair trial guarantees.
