Blog 2: Organizations Say Torture is Widespread in Libya Jails

Since toppling Qaddafi, the Libyan people have been thrown in a country essentially in anarchy.  Militant sectors of society, and the armed resistance to Qaddafi's rule, now run most of Libya's prisons.  The interim government is having an impossible time imposing order on the country.  In the wake of the crash of the dictatorship, the New York Times notes that the interim government headquarters has been ransacked, militias roam the streets, and central authority is nearly nonexistent in the country's prison system. The situation is drawing the attention of many international rights organizations.  Amnesty International reports several deaths and several more injuries due to torture of supposed loyalist of Qaddafi's regime in the nations prisons.  Doctors Without Borders has suspended care in some areas because the prison officials were bringing prisoners in between torture session to continue and prolong torture.  Human Rights Watch has also documented several cases of torture in Libya's prisons.

The situation has also caught the attention of the United Nations, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has condemned the torture and advocated for the transitional government to move control of the prisons over to the Justice Department.  So far, the Justice Department has only managed to assume control of six of the prisons, and the rest remain in the hands of militant anti-Qaddafi groups.

The U.N. Declaration of Human Rights outlines that "No one shall be subjected to torture to to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."  The torture of imprisoned pro-Qaddafi elements is definitively a violation of the human rights of these people.  Many have not been tried in any system of law, and undergo terrible beatings in interrogation sessions.  The article notes that injuries to the head and back were present on prisoners and some reported receiving electric shocks.  Sadly, the instability of the transition regime prevents swift and effective action on the subject, and the torture is likely to continue.  It is important to note that Qaddafi's regime was authoritarian, and human rights abuses were still present.  However, the destabilization of the system has lead to a much more abusive system essentially composed of militant tribes.  Many of the prisons in Libya are controlled by a separate commander, and the orders of the transitional government are clearly being disregarded.  If the people are to be free of widespread human rights abuses, the transitional government will have to take a more active role in consolidating power and strengthening institutions.  This case is yet another critical example of why the rule of law and freedom from fear of bodily harm are important aspects of human rights.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/world/africa/groups-denounce-widespread-use-of-torture-in-libya.html?_r=1&ref=world