Libyan military authorities execute at least 31 people

Military authorities in eastern Libya have executed at least 31 people since late August, marking the first reported death penalty implementations in the country since 2010, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The executions were carried out by forces controlled by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who governs eastern and southern Libya. HRW reported that these individuals were executed following “manifestly biased trials in military courts.” Bassem Hawaja, HRW’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that forces are conducting “secret trials based on confessions obtained through torture” before courts that lack jurisdiction over civilians.

At least 50 other detainees at the Guernanta military prison, located approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Benghazi, are reportedly at immediate risk of execution. The facility has faced numerous allegations of human rights violations, including torture and prisoner mistreatment. While the death penalty remains legal in Libya for crimes such as murder and terrorism, a moratorium on its application had effectively lasted 15 years until this recent resumption.