Libya's LAAF executes at least 31 in first killings since 2010

The Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) have carried out at least 31 executions since late August 2026. These are the first known executions in Libya since 2010, shattering a moratorium that lasted more than fifteen years. On August 23, the LAAF military prosecutor announced that ten people had been executed by firing squad after convictions for murder and terrorism-related offenses. Human rights groups documented a total of at least 31 executions by September 10.

At least 50 other people held at Gernada military prison are now at imminent risk of execution. The LAAF, an east-based military force commanded by General Khalifa Haftar, controls eastern and southern Libya. Bassam Khawaja of Human Rights Watch stated, "Libya went more than 15 years without an execution, and the LAAF has shattered that moratorium in a matter of weeks."

Victims and context of the executions

Many of those executed had been arrested in the cities of Derna and Benghazi. Their arrests occurred during or after the armed conflict between the LAAF and opposing armed groups between 2014 and 2018. Libya remains split between rival authorities. The Tripoli-based, internationally recognized Government of National Unity controls the west. The LAAF and affiliated forces control the east and south. Both sides operate with near-total impunity.

Secret trials and due process violations

Military courts in eastern Libya have convicted hundreds of civilians in secret trials since 2018. These trials targeted real or perceived critics of the LAAF. At least 22 civilians were sentenced to death during the period from 2018 to 2021. According to Amnesty International, many sentences were based on confessions allegedly extracted under torture by the LAAF-affiliated Internal Security Agency.

The trials violated fundamental due process rights. They were held in secret and without prior notice. Families, journalists, and human rights organizations were barred from attending. Several defendants were denied lawyers of their choice. Those who had lawyers were refused private visits before and during trial. Defendants were apparently not allowed to present their cases or examine evidence. Verdicts were handed down without providing written, reasoned judgments.

Trying civilians in military courts is incompatible with the right to a fair trial. In Libya, military prosecutors and judges are affiliated with the LAAF or allied armed groups, compromising independence. The executions proceeded despite a November 2025 ruling by Libya’s Supreme Court. That ruling found a key law granting military courts jurisdiction over civilians for terrorism and state crimes to be unconstitutional. At least two death sentences had been reduced to life in prison on appeal in 2019, yet those defendants were still put to death this year.

Treatment of families and bodies

The authorities inflicted further suffering on the families of those executed. Families were not notified in advance of the killings. They were denied a last visit. After the executions, relatives were asked to confirm the identities of the dead. The authorities then refused to hand over the bodies. They buried them secretly without families present and warned relatives not to hold funerals. Secret executions and denying families a last visit violate international law. This practice inflicts severe mental suffering, breaching the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.

Political context and calls for action

The United Nations and the Government of National Unity have condemned the executions. Libya’s justice sector is fragmented and deeply polarized. Outdated and repressive legislation is common. Fair trial rights are lacking. Unaccountable militias control prisons that are only nominally under state ministries. International rights groups have repeatedly criticized detention and execution after unfair trials in Libya. Courts in both east and west continue to impose death sentences for murder following what they describe as grossly unfair trials.

Governments that fund, train, and legitimize the LAAF possess real leverage. They have a responsibility to use it. Advocacy groups urge these governments to press LAAF leaders publicly and privately to halt all executions. Libyan authorities in both the east and west should restrict military court jurisdiction to military offenses by military personnel. They must stop trying civilians in military courts altogether. All cases of civilians wrongfully detained and prosecuted before military courts should be promptly reviewed. Effective remedies include release, transfer to civilian courts, or a retrial meeting international fair trial standards.

Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as inherently inhumane, cruel, and irreversible. Ninety-two countries have ratified a protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requiring the abolition of capital punishment. Libya should abolish the death penalty. Until then, it must enact a moratorium on all executions. Human Rights Watch documented the executions as of September 10 and continues to call for abolition.