Libya - Country of Concern: latest update, 31 March 2014
Updated 21 January 2015
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The security situation in Libya has deteriorated over the past three months. The Libyan government continues in its efforts to address the challenges of exerting full control over security in the country, but this has impeded progress on human rights. The political atmosphere has also remained volatile, with the General National Council (GNC) voting to remove Ali Zeidan from the position of Prime Minister on 11 March. Abdullah Al Thinni, the Defence Minister, has been installed as caretaker Prime Minister until a permanent Prime Minister is elected. Libyan government rhetoric on human rights nevertheless remains positive.
We have been concerned about the accelerated campaign of political assassinations in the East of Libya, which reached a high in February, with more than 50 assassinations of security, military, judicial and civil society leaders. There has also been an increase in the number of western and other foreign nationals murdered in Libya, including a British and a New Zealand national whose bodies were found on a beach to the west of Sabratha in early January, appearing to have been executed. These incidents demonstrate the lack of full control exerted by the Libyan authorities in Libya. The UK continues to work with Libya to improve the security situation, and we hope to begin the training of 2,000 Libyan Armed Forces personnel to help address the security issue in the coming months.
We have also expressed concern about the recent killings of a number of Coptic Christians in Libya. It is not yet known who was responsible for the murders, but we urge the Libyan authorities to investigate these incidents and bring the killers to justice. Following the positive steps taken by the government of Libya in the past year to improve freedom of religion or belief, these incidents suggest a downward trend in the treatment of Christian and other religious groups in Libya. The Libyan authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the rights of religious groups in the recently adopted UN Human Rights Council Resolution, and it is important that they fulfil this commitment.
There has been little progress on the trials of former members of the Qadhafi regime since the pre-trial hearings that took place in Tripoli on 19 September, including that of Abdullah Al Senussi. They continue to be held in pre-trial detention while the Libyan authorities build the case against them.
We welcomed the elections for the 60-member Constitutional Committee on 21 February. While this is a positive step towards the drafting of a new constitution, there are some outstanding issues that will need to be addressed to ensure the credibility of the drafting process. Poor security, and the targeting with explosives of polling stations in Derna, contributed to a voter turnout of only 45%. Elsewhere, poor security led to 13 of 60 constituencies experiencing no voting at all. This has resulted in only 47 members of the Constitutional Committee being elected so far, with no representatives from the Amazigh, Tebu or Tuareg tribes in Southern Libya. It will be crucial for the GNC to find a way of resolving this issue and to enable representatives from these groups to take their place on the Committee and guarantee the legitimacy of a new Libyan constitution. We also welcomed the Council of Ministers’ Decree on Sexual Violence, passed on 23 February. We encourage the GNC to pass this Decree into law and ensure its full implementation so that survivors can access the protection, support and justice they deserve.
In response to the challenges facing Libya, the UK is working to help the Libyan government address an overall lack of capacity in its security and justice sectors, and to address the limited understanding across the country of the practical application of human rights. On 10 April 2014, we launched our new Human Rights Action Plan for Libya, which identifies four of Libya’s priority areas on which the UK can provide assistance by working in collaboration with the Libyan government and civil society groups. These are: preventing sexual violence; detention and torture; freedom of expression; and the democratic process. These have been identified as areas where the UK can make a real impact in Libya and help to make tangible improvements on such key issues as the treatment of detainees and standard of detention centres, increasing the political participation of women and minority groups, and improving the standard – and protection – of journalists in Libya.
We have also worked closely with Libya and other international partners on the drafting of a new Human Rights Council Resolution, which was adopted on 28 March. The Libyan authorities cooperated fully in the drafting of this Resolution, which has resulted in a strong text which recognises not only Libya’s achievements since the revolution, but also the progress that they still have to make on key areas that will facilitate national reconciliation and the democratic transition. These include the launch of a national dialogue process, a constitutional process that allows for the participation of all members of society, and the voluntary return of all displaced persons.
October 2013 saw the commencement of the tri-departmental (FCO-DFID-MOD) Security, Justice and Defence programme which is helping the Libyan authorities provide more effective and accountable security, justice and defence for its citizens, contributing to improvements in the rule of law. The programme includes basic training for police, prison officers and judges in human rights standards and in preventing sexual violence.
The UK also has an extensive range of programmes funded from the Arab Partnership/Conflict Pool. Examples of projects currently being funded include: supporting development of the Libyan GNC; providing training to women’s groups to enhance their skills in leadership; including women in political processes; strengthening women’s participation in the GNC; funding for a series of television programmes to promote a positive Libya and encourage free debate; a broader BBC media action plan in place, the aim of which is to provide support to public service broadcasting; and building the capacity of Libyan journalists.