The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) calls on the Libyan authorities to launch a prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigation into the recent discovery of more than 50 unidentified bodies in the Abu Salim hospital’s morgue, and into reported mass graves at the Abu Salim zoo.
.هذا البيان الصحفي متوفر باللغة العربية أيضاً
On 15 May 2025, the General Authority for the Search and Identification of Missing Persons – a body established in 2018 to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons in Libya – announced they had received information about the presence of mass graves in the Abu Salim zoo. On 19 May 2025, the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Unity (GNU) – the internationally recognized Tripoli-based government – reported the discovery of 50 additional unidentified bodies in the morgue of the Abu Salim hospital. As of today, the Public Prosecutor has not announced the opening of any investigation.
“The Libyan authorities must identify the bodies and hold perpetrators accountable, including high-level ones who supported militias operating in Abu Salim,” said Saïd Benarbia, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme Director.
Accountability for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions has remained elusive in Libya, and it is high time for the Libyan authorities to reverse course and ensure that they take all necessary measures with a view to holding all those responsible for such crimes under international law criminally responsible in accordance with domestic law and Libya’s legal obligations under international human rights laws and standards, including the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions.
The Abu Salim area was previously under the control of Abdelghani Al-Kikli (also known as “Ghaniwa”), the head of Stabilization Support Authority (SSA), a militia aligned with the Presidential Council, a three-person body sharing the executive authority with the GNU. Following the killing of Ghaniwa on 12 May 2025, and the ensuing armed clashes between the SSA and GNU-affiliated militias, the SSA lost control of Abu Salim.
Contact
Saïd Benarbia, Director, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; t: +41 22 979 3800, e: said.benarbia@icj.org
Nour Al Hajj, Communications & Advocacy Officer, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme; e: nour.alhajj@icj.org
