Benghazi, 11 November 2020
No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) mourns with great sadness the murder of Hanan Al-Barassi, a prominent human rights lawyer and activist whose commitment to the rule of law and accountability was a beacon of inspiration for us in our work in Libya.
Ms Al-Barassi, who was killed yesterday in a busy artery in Benghazi’s city centre by unidentified armed men, had been an outspoken critic of corruption, abuse of power and human rights violations committed in areas controlled by Haftar’s Libyan National Army.
Her death is a tragic reminder of an ongoing pattern of violence characterized by killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and widespread threats targeting civilians, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists that dare to speak out against the prevailing culture of impunity for crimes and abuses perpetrated by militias in the east and west of Libya.
Human rights and women’s rights activists like Hanan led the revolution aimed at putting an end to legacy of oppression characterised by Gaddafi’s regime and at promoting, even in the most arduous conditions and at their own risk, a process of transition towards peace and democracy in their country. NPWJ strongly believes that their vision of a Libya governed by Universal principles of human rights and human dignity cannot be killed by bullets, as it lives in the hearts and in the actions of Libyans across the country, who will not be divided by terror and hate.
Libyans in positions of responsibility should also be aware that a political solution to the protracted crisis requires as a fundamental pillar the restoration of justice and accountability. Outrageous crimes such as the killing of Hanan and the abduction and disappearance of Siham Sergiwa should be promptly and thoroughly investigated and relevant authorities should ensure that their perpetrators and instigators are brought to justice.
- Read the statement in Arabic
- See also the joint statement issued by the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Maria ARENA, and by the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries, Andrea COZZOLINO
For further information, contact Frej Fenniche, MENA Regional Representative, on ffenniche@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, Press & Public Affairs Coordinator, on ngiovannini@npwj.org org.
