Libya sentences 45 to death over 2011 uprising killings

A court in Libya sentences some 45 forces loyal to former ruler Muammar Gaddafi to death yesterday over brutal killings during the 2011 uprisings in Tripoli.

In a statement the Ministry of Justice said the men would be given the death penalty by a firing squad.

Adding to the death sentences, some 54 people were sentenced to a five-year prison term for the deaths of at least 20 people, whilst 22 others were acquitted.

Lawyers for the accused were present for the verdict, but the defendants were not allowed to attend the hearing.

According human rights groups, prisoners have been held in remand for years without any judicial oversight or transparency.

Read: Libyan tribes: Part of the problem or a solution?

Libya's court decision to sentence 45 to death over 2011 killings is dysfunctional, as many had been held with no judicial oversight or means to challenge the legality of their detention.https://t.co/QGooTZtXhA #Libya #DeathPenalty

— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) August 16, 2018

Since the overthrow of long-time Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in a popular uprising in 2011, the country has been involved in a power struggle which has led to security chaos.

There are currently three governments in the country with Brigadier General Khalifa Haftar heading one in Benghazi, the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, and the Tobruk-based government of Abdullah Al-Thini.

The abandoned children of Daesh fighters in Libya