Key facts
- At least 30 men have been executed in eastern Libya.
- The executions followed secret military trials by the Libyan Armed Forces.
- Khalifa Haftar commands the Libyan Armed Forces controlling eastern and southern Libya.
- This is the first resumption of executions in Libya since 2010.
- Amnesty International reported that at least 30 people have been executed since August 23.
- Dozens more remain under sentence of death.
At least 30 men have been executed in eastern Libya after being sentenced to death in secret military trials by the Libyan Armed Forces, under commander Khalifa Haftar. This marks the first resumption of executions in the country since 2010, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group stated that at least 30 people have been executed since August 23 following what it described as unfair, secretive, and torture-tainted military trials, with dozens more still under sentence of death. Some convictions were for terrorism-related offenses and assassinations linked to the 2014-2018 conflict, and defendants have alleged torture into making confessions used as evidence. The executions have been condemned by Libyan and international human rights organizations, as well as Tripoli's internationally recognized Government of National Unity, which stated that trying civilians before military courts undermines due process. Anas El-Gomati, founder and director of the Sadeq Institute, criticized the trials and executions, noting that Libya's Constitutional Court had previously ruled against civilians being tried by military courts, a ruling that has been ignored in areas controlled by Haftar's forces. He argued that the lack of separation between arresting, prosecuting, and judging institutions in eastern Libya means the justice system serves the Haftar family, and that reunification efforts must include judicial reform to avoid nationalizing the military justice apparatus.