Rights groups demand release of pro-Gaza activists detained in Libya

Ten international activists participating in the Global Sumud Convoy have been detained by forces loyal to Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya since May 24. The convoy aimed to deliver aid and services to the Gaza Strip, but while most members were deported, these ten were held by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF).

From June 1 to at least June 4, the detainees undertook a hunger strike to protest their detention and lack of access to legal counsel and families. Amnesty International reports that the activists are in pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of "assembly without authorisation," which could result in up to six months in prison and/or a fine.

Mahmoud Shalaby, a regional researcher at Amnesty International, criticized the detention as "disgraceful" and based on "bogus charges," emphasizing that peaceful humanitarian action should not be punished. He urged the LAAF to ensure the activists' immediate and unconditional release and to provide them with regular access to families, consular representatives, lawyers, and necessary medical care.

Libya has been politically divided since 2011. Haftar's LAAF controls eastern Libya, supported by the UAE and Egypt, while a UN-backed government operates in the west. The convoy, comprising ambulances, mobile homes, aid trucks, and professionals, was reportedly targeted by the LAAF after entering the 5+5 security zone near Sirte, an area established under a 2020 ceasefire agreement, while attempting to negotiate passage to Gaza.