Exile or death: violence and collapsed State leave human rights defenders with few options
Libya:Exile or death:violence and collapsed State leave human rights defenders with few options
Paris,Geneva, August 12, 2015 – In Libya, humanrights defenders have become prime targets for many armed groups involved inthe ongoing civil war, reveals The Observatory in a report published today.Violence, harassment and intimidation are daily occurrences for thesedefenders, in a climate of impunity resulting from the breakdown of the State.The respect of human rights defenders as vital,non-partisan voices should be a baseline consensus forany successful agreement between parties to the conflict.
“Nodemocratic society can exist without human rights defenders. They are thekeystones in the construction of a State that protects and empowers thepeople. The situation they face is unbearable and puts at risk the entireprocess of building a sustainable democracy in Libya. Therefore, we call on theinternational community and all the parties to include them in the negotiationsand to provide them with shelters for their protection”, stated Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General.
Thereport illustrates this catastrophic situation through the stories of 24 humanrights defenders, several of whom have been killed. Others have been kidnapped,received violent threats against them or their family. Their places of workhave been broken into and subject to arson. Threatening phone calls,defamation, and exile in neighbouring countries are regular occurrences forLibyan defenders. In this polarised context with no room for independent voices, no male or female citizen promoting the respect for humanrights and democratic principles is out of danger. However, those most oftentargeted by acts of violence are lawyers, judges, representatives of governmentinstitutions and national or international human rights organisations,journalists and those who defend the rights of ethnic minority groups.
Accordingto the testimonies of human rights defenders, the authors of these violationsare mainly members of various non-State armed groups, particularly thosebelonging to the fundamentalist Islamist movement (in particular “Fajr Libya”).Sources have told the Observatory that Islamist armed groups keep “black lists”of targets containing the names of persons who promote democratic ideals anddefend human rights and gender equality, values diametrically opposed to thosepromoted by Islamist armed groups.
Thejudicial institutions that do exist include in their founding statutes theirallegiance to various tribes, warlords, and non-State actors, effectivelylegalising these entities. In some cases, these armed groups actually fund thejudicial institutions themselves. These groups have gone on to replace State institutionsby infiltrating them and rendering them dysfunctional.
Withthe support of the international community, Libya is currently participating ina process to reach an agreement to stabilise the country. The process willspecifically address the protection ofhuman rights and human rights defenders. However, some paramilitary groups andmilitias have deserted the negotiations. Their return to the negotiating table,upon which the success of the process depends, should be contingent upon theirstrict commitment to respect human rights. Human rights defenders must also beactively included in the process. Only under these conditions can a Staterespectful of basic human rights be established.
“Todayin Libya, human rights defenders are forced to cease their activities or to gointo exile in order to stay alive. However, even in exile, most Libyan humanrights defenders face a very precarious situation. Thehost countries must examine the possibilities for supporting and facilitatingthe granting of refugee status to them”,declared Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.
The report is available here: Libya Report