Statement on the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
Press Release
Human Rights Solidarity (LHRS) 24 March 2026
On the International Day for the Right to the Truth, LHRS warns that Libya continues to face a deepening crisis of impunity. Successive transitional authorities have failed to uphold the right to truth, obstructed accountability, and pursued political deals that exclude victims and shield perpetrators.
LHRS stresses that Transitional Justice is the only viable foundation for genuine national reconciliation. The organization calls for urgent reforms to Libya’s truth‑seeking legislation, transparent investigations into mass graves and gross violations, protection of civic space, and full participation of victims and their families.
Without truth, there can be no justice — and without justice, no lasting peace.
| Ref: PRS 2026/03/1024 | March 24, 2026 |
Statement on the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
“Truth is the beginning of justice, the anchor of memory, and the path toward a future where dignity is restored”
The right to the truth remains a cornerstone in confronting impunity for gross human rights violations. It is a right that protects societies from denial, erasure, and the repetition of atrocities. It is inseparable from other fundamental rights: the right to access information, the right to a fair trial, the right to reparations, the right to identity, and the right to an effective remedy.
Recognizing the centrality of this right, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution of 21 December 2010, proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has affirmed that the right to the truth is inalienable, linked to the State’s duty to protect human rights, conduct effective investigations, and ensure justice and redress.
Yet, for victims in Libya — and for their families, advocates, and all who seek truth — this day passes once again under the shadow of deepening impunity. Since the same day last year, Libyan authorities have continued to erode the right to truth, obstruct accountability, and deny victims the justice they deserve. The only exception remains the 2024 Supreme Court ruling overturning the Tripoli Court of Appeal’s decision of non‑jurisdiction in the Abu Salim prison massacre case. Beyond this, the legislative and executive authorities have demonstrated a persistent inability — and in many cases, unwillingness — to fulfil their obligations to uphold truth, justice, and human dignity.
Transitional Justice: The Missing Foundation of National Reconciliation
For fifteen years, LHRS has consistently warned that National Reconciliation cannot be achieved without a comprehensive, victim‑centred Transitional Justice process. This is not a theoretical concern — it is the root cause of Libya’s prolonged fragmentation.
As LHRS emphasized in its submission to the National Reconciliation and Human Rights Track of the Structured Dialogue:
- The failure to implement Transitional Justice since 2011 allowed militias to fill the vacuum of accountability, becoming de facto authorities.
- Victims were denied recognition, deepening grievances and fuelling cycles of revenge.
- Truth was never documented, enabling competing narratives to harden and polarize society.
- Judicial institutions became vulnerable to political and armed interference.
- Public trust in state institutions collapsed, undermining elections and governance.
Libya’s crisis is not only political — it is a crisis of justice, memory, and legitimacy.
Despite this, successive transitional authorities have continued to empty Transitional Justice of its essential components: truth‑seeking, accountability, reparations, and institutional reform. Instead, they have pursued political deals disguised as “reconciliation,” while sidelining victims and shielding perpetrators.
The Entrenchment of Impunity by Libya’s Transitional Authorities
- Political interference and the release of perpetrators
The Presidential Council and Ministry of Justice have repeatedly attempted to release individuals accused or convicted of grave crimes, including:
- The release key defendants in the Abu Salim massacre,
- Public statements proposing political bargains in exchange for releasing “political prisoners,”
- Efforts to free individuals implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity under the pretext of “health conditions.”
Such actions violate national and international law and reinforce impunity.
- Legislative actions that erase accountability
The House of Representatives deepened impunity by expanding the controversial General Amnesty Law, extending blanket amnesty to crimes committed before 2011 and between 2011–2015 — effectively erasing accountability for decades of violations.
- Political deals masquerading as reconciliation
The African Union–sponsored “Peace and Reconciliation Charter,” signed in Addis Ababa in February 2025, excluded key Libyan stakeholders and omitted any reference to Transitional Justice, truth‑seeking, accountability, reparations, or institutional reform. It is a political settlement, not a reconciliation process.
- Failure to investigate grave violations
Over the past year, Libyan authorities — particularly the Attorney General’s Office and Ministry of Interior — have failed to investigate:
- Mass graves of migrants and Libyans
- Killings by armed groups
- Enforced disappearances
- Extrajudicial executions
- Crimes committed by human trafficking networks
- The 2023 Derna flood disaster and the political negligence that preceded it
The absence of investigations signals to perpetrators that they can act without consequence.
Recent Violations Illustrating the Collapse of Accountability
- Discovery of mass graves of migrants in western and southern Libya, with no transparent investigations.
- New mass graves from the 2011 conflict uncovered in Tajoura, with limited forensic follow‑up.
- Continued arbitrary detention and torture in unofficial detention sites.
- Killings by armed groups in Tripoli and Benghazi without judicial action.
- Failure to hold any political or military leaders accountable for the Derna disaster, despite thousands of deaths.
- Continued enforced disappearances, including cases involving women and migrants.
These violations reflect a systemic failure: the State has abandoned its duty to protect life, dignity, and truth.
LHRS Calls on Libyan Authorities to:
- Uphold the right to truth
Ensure transparent investigations into all gross human rights violations and publish findings without delay.
- Reform truth‑seeking legislation
Revise the law governing the Fact‑Finding and Reconciliation Commission to meet international standards, ensuring independence, victim participation, investigative powers, and public reporting.
- Implement a comprehensive Transitional Justice framework
Integrate truth‑seeking, accountability, reparations, institutional reform, and guarantees of non‑recurrence into all reconciliation initiatives.
- End political interference in justice
Cease attempts to release individuals accused or convicted of grave crimes.
- Strengthen the Attorney General’s Office
Ensure impartial investigations into extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and mass graves.
- Protect civic space
Guarantee the safety of human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society organizations.
- Engage victims and their families
Ensure their participation in all truth‑seeking and reconciliation processes.
LHRS Calls on Victims’ Families to:
Continue demanding truth and justice and engage with civil society and international mechanisms to ensure their voices remain central.
Conclusion
On this International Day for the Right to the Truth, LHRS reaffirms that there can be no reconciliation without truth, no peace without justice, and no stability without accountability.
Transitional Justice is not one option among many — it is the only viable foundation for genuine national reconciliation in Libya.
Human Rights Solidarity Organisation
Tripoli – Libya
March 24, 2026
Annex: Unanswered Questions and Unresolved Cases
As this day passes, the vast majority of gross human rights violations in Libya remain without investigation or accountability. LHRS renews its demand for answers to the following:
- Abu Salim Prison Massacre
Why the continued delays in the trial? Why no official disclosure of the fate of all victims?
- Massacres in Benghazi
What are the results of investigations into the bodies found in landfills in al‑Laithi, Shabna, al‑Abyar, and Ganfouda?
- Killings of released detainees (Ruwaimi Prison, 2016)
Why were no findings ever published?
- Terrorist attacks
Where are the results of investigations into attacks in Benghazi, Zliten, Tripoli, and al‑Qubah?
- Brak al‑Shati massacre (2017)
Why has no accountability been pursued?
- Crimes against migrants
What became of investigations into killings, torture, and mass graves of migrants, including the “Fanar Forest” case near Sabratha?
- Kidnappings for ransom
Why have criminal networks — including those active in Wershifana — not been prosecuted?
- Crimes committed by armed groups since 2011
Why no investigations into collective punishment, forced displacement, and extrajudicial killings?
- Killing of five Sudanese women in Benghazi
Why have the perpetrators not been identified or prosecuted?
- Assassination of lawyer Hanan al‑Bara’si (2020)
Why has no progress been announced?
- Mass graves in Tarhuna
Why have investigations stalled despite repeated appeals from families?
- Derna flood disaster (2023)
Why were political and administrative failures not examined, and why were no officials held accountable?
- Recent mass graves (2024–2026)
What are the findings regarding mass graves in Tajoura, Kufra, the oases region, and along migration routes?
