The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said he was shocked by the grave human rights violations recently uncovered in both official and unofficial detention centers operated by the Stability Support Apparatus in Tripoli. He called for the immediate closure of these facilities and the launch of urgent, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations by the Libyan authorities.
These UN calls echo longstanding demands from Alkarama, which has been advocating for years for the protection of human rights in Libya. Alkarama emphasizes the need to reinforce state control over the actions of armed groups, to place all detention sites under judicial supervision, to end arbitrary arrests, and to clarify the fate of those forcibly disappeared.
In his statement, the High Commissioner indicated that these discoveries confirm previous findings by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the former UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission, as well as numerous eyewitness testimonies. They reveal the existence of such sites and the scale of violations committed there, including torture and enforced disappearances.
“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” Türk stated. He reaffirmed the absolute necessity of closing these sites and preserving all evidence to support immediate accountability efforts. He also emphasized the importance of bringing those responsible for these atrocities to justice without delay, in accordance with international standards.
Türk also voiced concern over reports that the Libyan authorities tasked with exhuming the bodies and identifying the victims—particularly the criminal investigation services—had yet to be granted the necessary access to the sites. He urged the authorities to ensure full and unhindered access to all relevant locations.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that, between May 18 and 21, it received information indicating the retrieval of ten charred bodies from the headquarters of the Stability Support Apparatus in Abu Salim, as well as the discovery of 67 bodies stored in morgues at Abu Salim and Al-Khadhra hospitals. Some of the remains had begun to decompose due to power outages. The identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed. Additionally, a mass grave was reportedly found at the Tripoli Zoo, also under the control of the Stability Support Apparatus.
These revelations came in the wake of the death last month of the head of this force, Abdelghani al-Kikli, known as “Ghniwa.” Subsequent clashes between state security forces and armed groups triggered public protests calling for an end to violence in Tripoli.
The High Commissioner urged all political and security stakeholders in Libya to use their authority to protect and uphold the human rights of all citizens. He also called on these actors and their influencers to intensify efforts to end the cycle of repeated transitional arrangements and to establish a full and inclusive democracy.
Alkarama's Activism
In May, Alkarama informed the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) of the reappearance of several victims of enforced disappearance in Libya. These individuals were among the cases for which the organization had previously submitted complaints. Some were recently released by the authorities from secret prisons controlled by the militias of the Stability Support Apparatus following the death of their leader, Abdelghani al-Kikli, known as “Ghniwa.”
In its latest correspondence with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), Alkarama shared updates regarding individuals held arbitrarily or forcibly disappeared in Libya. The Working Group expressed interest in these developments and continues to monitor the cases submitted by Alkarama, including those involving arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances by pro-government militias in western Libya—particularly the so-called Deterrence Forces—as well as violations committed by forces loyal to retired General Khalifa Haftar and his sons in eastern Libya.
Alkarama once again underscores the urgent need to end abusive practices by armed militias, to bring all detention centers under judicial oversight, and to shut down secret prisons. It also reaffirms its support for all measures undertaken by the government in response to the recommendations made by Alkarama and other human rights bodies. These include recent decisions by the Prime Minister aimed at restoring state authority, upholding the rule of law, ending militia abuses, and assigning security functions exclusively to official state institutions—chiefly the police and competent judicial bodies.