Libya’s National Institution for Human Rights has strongly criticised the arrest of prominent poet Fayez Al-Arfi by members of the Internal Security Agency aligned with the country’s parallel Government.
According to the institution, Al-Arfi was detained from his home in the eastern city of Al-Marj after reciting a poem in which he lamented worsening living conditions and the country’s deepening economic crisis.
Video footage circulated on social media also showed the poet openly criticizing the performance of security Agencies in eastern Libya, remarks which are believed to have precipitated his arrest.
The human rights body described the detention as a grave violation of fundamental rights, the rule of law and the principles of justice. It further characterised the move as a clear breach of existing legislation and legal protections.
In its statement, the institution expressed strong condemnation of what it termed irresponsible conduct and an assault on freedom of opinion and expression, as well as artistic and cultural liberties. The incident has renewed concerns among civil society groups over shrinking civic space and the protection of free speech in Libya’s increasingly polarised political environment.
