Press release on the discovery of mass graves and clandestine detention sites for migrants in Libya
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Commission) is closely monitoring the human rights situation in Libya and expresses its deep concern following reports of the discovery of clandestine detention sites, including an underground site, as well as a mass grave containing the bodies of migrants in the east and south-east of the country.
The African Commission is particularly alarmed by reports that the Libyan authorities have released more than two hundred (200) migrants from a clandestine detention centre in the Kufra region, where people – including women and children – were reportedly being held in inhumane conditions.
The African Commission also notes with grave concern reports of the discovery of a mass grave containing at least twenty-one (21) bodies near Ajdabiya, following an operation carried out at a site where migrants were allegedly being held. It extends its condolences to the families of the victims.
In this context, the African Commission welcomes the actions taken by the Libyan authorities that led to the discovery of these sites, the release of detainees, and the initiation of proceedings to establish responsibility. The Commission commends the authorities for the measures announced in relation to the investigation and prosecution, in particular the reports that at least one person has been brought to justice for trafficking-related offences and that other suspects are being prosecuted.
The African Commission condemns in the strongest terms acts of human trafficking, illegal detention and any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and recalls that such acts constitute serious violations of the rights guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, in particular the right to life and the right to human dignity (Articles 4 and 5), as well as the right to liberty and security of person (Article 6).
The Commission also recalls that the Libyan authorities, in accordance with their relevant obligations, have a duty to prevent violations, protect all persons within their jurisdiction, and conduct prompt, independent and impartial investigations, ensuring the preservation of evidence, the identification of victims, and the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators and accomplices, including trafficking and smuggling networks. In this regard, the Commission also recalls the obligations arising from other international and regional instruments, including the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (2018) and the African Guidelines on the Human Rights of All Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers (2023). It further recalls its relevant standards, including its General Comment No. 3 on ‘the right to life’ (2015), its ‘Guidelines for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance’ (2022), and its Resolution ACHPR/RES. 486 (EXT.OS/XXXIII) 2021 on missing migrants and refugees in Africa and the impact on their families. In this regard, the Commission stresses the importance of facilitating, with full respect for human dignity, the recovery of bodies, their identification and the provision of information to families as soon as possible.
Consequently, the African Commission calls on the Libyan authorities to:
• Continue and intensify operations to identify, close and dismantle clandestine detention sites and the criminal networks that operate them, while ensuring accountability for those responsible;
• Guarantee effective access to medical, psychosocial and legal assistance for rescued persons, with particular attention to the specific needs of children and women;
• Establish mechanisms for the protection of victims and witnesses, and ensure effective remedies;
• Strengthen judicial and operational cooperation, including at the regional and international levels, to combat the transnational criminal networks responsible for these abuses.
Finally, the African Commission calls on the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and the international community to redouble their efforts to support actions to protect people on the move, combat human trafficking and strengthen human rights-based responses.
Done at Banjul, 26 January 2026
Honourable Commissioner Idrissa SOW
Chairperson of the Commission
Chairperson of the Working Group on the Death Penalty, Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions and Enforced Disappearances in Africa
Hon. Commissioner Selma SASSI-SAFER
Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa
Commissioner in charge of the human rights situation in the State of Libya
