Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently urged Libyan judicial authorities to undertake a comprehensive investigation into reports of human rights violations following intense clashes between opposing armed groups in Tripoli. The call for investigation was made public on a day marked by memories of the mounting violence that emerged from the assassination of Abdelghani “Ghneiwa” al-Kikli on May 12. Ghneiwa, a pivotal figure within the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) since its assimilation into Libya’s security framework in 2011, was instrumental in shaping the group’s significant reach and resources. HRW’s call emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability amidst the turmoil.
The SSA’s leadership, under Ghneiwa, faced allegations of widespread violations of international human rights law, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and exploitation of migrants for forced labor. Ghneiwa’s former deputy, Lotfi al-Harari, now helming the Internal Security Agency, has been tied to egregious acts, including coercing confessions and ordering violent torture methods as reported in recent controversies. His actions during his tenure with SSA and now as head of the Internal Security Agency continue to attract global scrutiny.
Despite Ghneiwa’s contentious impact on Libya’s conflict landscape, efforts to mitigate the power wielded by such militias often appear ineffective. At the heart of this inability is the SSA’s entrenched influence over the government. Following Ghneiwa’s death, tensions between groups such as the 444 Combat Brigade and the Deterrence Anti-Organized Crime and Terrorism Apparatus, also known as “al-Radaa”, led to a deadly escalation. For instance, a 21-year-old woman, soon to be married, was among the victims who died due to stray shells that fell in civilian areas in Tripoli, with multiple injuries reported from indiscriminate shootings.
The Emergency Medicine and Support Center in Libya issued statements confirming fatalities from the recent violent encounters, though clarity remains elusive regarding whether the dead were militants or civilians. The prevalence of such incidents intertwines with international legal principles, notably the doctrine of command responsibility underlined in Article 28 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, raising critical expectations for accountability from militia leaders.
The persistence of atrocities, coupled with the rigid influence of militia groups like SSA and their affiliates, underscores the daunting challenge facing Libyan judicial figures striving to advance justice. HRW advocates for tangible actions, noting the importance of evidence collection in militia-dominated areas to ensure future transparency and accountability. The reverberations of these events demand a concerted effort from national and international entities to scrutinize and curb the unchecked power perpetuating instability in Libya.