{"id":8492,"date":"2026-01-24T18:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T17:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrsly.com\/?p=8492"},"modified":"2026-01-24T18:25:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T17:25:27","slug":"joint-statement-issued-by-thirteen-libyan-ngoson-the-mass-killing-of-migrants-in-the-city-of-ajdabiya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrsly.com\/en\/joint-statement-issued-by-thirteen-libyan-ngoson-the-mass-killing-of-migrants-in-the-city-of-ajdabiya\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Statement Issued by Thirteen Libyan NGOsOn the Mass Killing of Migrants in the City of Ajdabiya"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Ref: PRS 2026\/01\/1002<\/td>January 16, 2026<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joint Statement Issued by Thirteen Libyan NGOs
On the Mass Killing of Migrants in the City of Ajdabiya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The undersigned Libyan non\u2011governmental organizations working in the fields of human rights, monitoring, documentation, and humanitarian action express their profound shock and strongest condemnation of the horrific crime uncovered south of the city of Ajdabiya. The remains of 21 migrants were exhumed from a mass grave, all of them migrants of various African nationalities, in one of the most serious mass execution crimes witnessed in Libya in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to information obtained from security and human rights sources, reports were submitted to the Internal Security Agency, Ajdabiya branch, regarding executions of migrants detained inside a private farm. The competent authorities subsequently launched investigative and information\u2011gathering operations, which led to suspicion of a Libyan individual with a criminal record who had been detaining migrants on his property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the raid on the site, security forces found men and women suffering from gunshot wounds in critical condition. They were transferred to the main Hospital in Ajdabiya. It also became evident that the site had been operated as a secret, unlawful detention facility. Survivors reported that the suspect had killed several victims, including women and children. This led to the identification of mass\u2011grave locations and the discovery of the remains of 21 victims who were killed in cold blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the gravity of the crime and its confirmation by multiple governmental and human rights sources, no briefing or official statement has been issued, as of the date of this document, by the Libyan government in the East or its Ministry of Interior clarifying the circumstances of the incident or the measures taken. This raises serious concerns regarding transparency and the public\u2019s right to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The undersigned organizations affirm that this crime is not an isolated incident. Rather, it falls within a recurring and well\u2011documented pattern of mass killings, executions of migrants, and their burial in mass graves since 2017, often linked to human\u2011trafficking networks and illegal detention sites in southern, eastern, and western Libya, amid widespread impunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, Libya has witnessed several similar incidents, including Sabratha in 2017, the Mezda massacre in 2020, the Sabratha incidents of 2022, the discovery of a mass grave in Al\u2011Shwaerif in 2024, and the discovery of mass graves in the Kufra region in 2025, in addition to cases of extrajudicial killing and informal burial of migrants in several areas of western Libya without effective accountability. Collectively, these events raise a fundamental question: How can such large numbers of migrants be detained for extended periods without the knowledge or intervention of the competent authorities, and without monitoring or dismantling these criminal networks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, the undersigned Libyan non\u2011governmental organizations call for the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n