Libyan Arab Armed Forces Execute 31 People After Secret Trials

The Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), led by General Khalifa Haftar, executed at least 31 people between late August and September 10, 2026. These killings, carried out by firing squads, mark the first known executions in Libya since 2010 and shatter a de facto 15-year moratorium on capital punishment.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International report that the executions followed secret military trials based on confessions allegedly extracted through torture by the Internal Security Agency. Many of the victims were arrested in Benghazi and Derna during conflicts between 2014 and 2018. These actions occurred despite a November 2025 Supreme Court ruling stating that military courts lack jurisdiction to try civilians for terrorism and state crimes.

Human Rights Watch warns that at least 50 additional prisoners at Gernada military prison face imminent execution. The organization has called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and the suspension of all death sentences. The United Nations and the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity have condemned the killings, while Amnesty International noted that hundreds of civilians were previously convicted in secret trials between 2018 and 2021 for criticizing the LAAF.