The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into Libyan detention centers after 77 unidentified bodies were discovered in facilities operated by the Stabilization Support Apparatus, an armed group based in the capital, Tripoli.
“Our worst-held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,” said UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
The bodies were discovered in May amid escalating violence in Tripoli, sparked by the killing of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, leader of the SSA. His death triggered intense clashes and attacks on civilian areas. In the wake of these clashes, “ten badly charred bodies” were found at the SSA ‘s base in the Abu Salim neighborhood, Libya’s most densely populated area and home to its notorious maximum security prison, Abu Salim.
On 19 May, the Libyan Interior Ministry reported the discovery of nearly 58 unidentified bodies stored in refrigeration units at Abu Salim Hospital. The remains appeared to have been kept there for some time and were in advanced stages of decomposition. The United Nations confirmed that another nine bodies were found at Al Khadra Hospital in a similar state of decay.
However, the number of bodies is expected to increase. According to the UN Human Rights Office, another newly discovered burial site has been located at the former Tripoli Zoo, which is controlled by the SSA. It remains unclear whether any bodies have been recovered from the mass grave.
“These sites must be sealed and all potential evidence preserved in support of immediate accountability efforts. Those responsible for these atrocious acts must be brought to justice without delay, in accordance with international standards,” Turk said.
Libya’s detention centers have come under growing scrutiny since the beginning of the year. A report published in February revealed the horrific conditions and traumatic experiences endured by migrants held in these facilities. Victims of human trafficking recounted being captured in Tunisia, sold to armed groups in Libya, and subsequently detained in camps where they were held until their families could pay ransoms, which in some cases exceeded $700.
Not even a month later, two mass graves containing the bodies of more than 100 migrants were discovered at various locations across the country, prompting a nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling. The arrests of traffickers and the dismantling of their networks have further exposed the brutal treatment and inhumane conditions migrants suffer at the hands of traffickers.
The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect has sounded the alarm over the grave threats facing migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers held in detention centers operated by the SSA. Victims have reported being subjected to torture, rape and sexual violence, extortion, and forced labor at the hands of SSA forces.
“For years, the SSA and the Internal Security Agency (ISA) terrorized people in Tripoli through enforced disappearances, torture, and other crimes under international law. SSA members subjected hundreds of migrants and refugees to torture, forced labour and rape after intercepting them at sea and returning them to detention centres under SSA’s command,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.
Reports of migrant abuse by the SSA, the security force operating under the Presidential Council, which came to power in 2021 through a UN-recognized process, are far from new.
As early as 2022, the Associated Press reported widespread abuses by the SSA against migrants, including torture, beatings, and humiliation in detention centers after intercepting their boats in the Mediterranean.
One of SSA’s mandates is to prevent migrants from arriving at European shores, allegedly using funding from the EU as part of the bloc’s broader efforts to curb migration across the Mediterranean.