UN probes detainees’ alleged deaths, human rights abuses in Libya

The United Nations is investigating the deaths of at least 20 detainees in Libya, many believed to be political opponents, between March 2024 and September 2025.

Deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, disclosed the probe while presenting a report at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The report details ongoing abuses, including arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances carried out with impunity. It also notes that the UN Human Rights Office in Libya has facilitated discussions between eastern and western stakeholders on transitional justice, national reconciliation, and legislation to combat violence against women.

In addition, judges, prosecutors, and prison officials have received specialized training, and five detention Centers have been inspected. Al-Nashif condemned what she described as “brutal and systematic human rights violations” against migrants and refugees, including exploitation by human traffickers, armed groups, and security personnel.

She recalled recent discoveries of mass graves and torture in Tripoli’s detention facilities and welcomed the Government of National Unity’s decision to accept the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over crimes committed from 2011 to 2027, calling it a significant move toward accountability. However, she warned that civic space remains under severe threat, with journalists, activists, and political opponents facing repression. Al-Nashif urged the inclusion of women, youth, minorities, and victims in national dialogue processes and expressed hope that Libya’s Universal Periodic Review in November would serve as a platform to strengthen human rights reforms.