IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

The Atlantic Council’s North Africa Program has partnered with Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL) to create a platform for Libyan civil society to share their knowledge, expertise and perspectives on promoting accountability, truth and justice in Libya. Our organizations work to support and strengthen the voice of local civil society organizations, communities and victims of human rights abuses committed to helping establish the rule of law in Libya, but who cannot operate freely and to the full potential because of contingent factors.

Libyans continue to face severe violations of their human rights. Since the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Libya has faced internal strife and a series of continuous conflicts, which have caused a deterioration of the security and authority of the state, in favor of many local armed groups who arbitrarily exercise most of the powers that would otherwise belong to a central state. This situation has led to a de facto division of the country in roughly two parts; the so-called Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) lead by former Gaddafi general Khalifa Haftar which control large parts of eastern and southern Libya, and a conglomerate of government actors and armed groups that more or less exercise control on the Western part. One of the consequences of this division is the collapse of the judiciary. As a result, in recent years, thousands of people have been unlawfully detained without charge or trial and unlawful killings, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence are a daily occurrence.

Those committing these crimes enjoy total to near impunity.

Libyan civil society are working tirelessly to documenting violations and crimes, and call for justice, accountability and institutional reform. The Atlantic Council and Lawyers for Justice in Libya are determined to elevate the often-ignored perspectives of local civil society and support their vital contributions to the international community’s conversation on Libya.

Read more about justice and accountability in Libya:

Recent Articles

MENASource

May 18, 2023

How the international community can help Libya’s political deadlock, according to local civil society actors

By Ali Alaspli, Farah Ali, and Mohamed Salem

In this piece, three Libyan civil society representatives give their take on the international community’s role in Libya.

Human Rights Libya

Article

Feb 28, 2023

There is no democracy without civil society

By Karim Mezran and Elham Saudi

Twelve years after the Libyan uprising, we are at a crucial point on Libya’s road to democracy. Now more than ever, it is important that civil society is at the heart of the approaching electoral process and future governance.

Libya Middle East