The UN Secretary-General’s report published on 17 April warns that ‘the overall volatile security situation showed signs of further deterioration, with heightened tensions and competition over territorial control between armed groups in several parts of Libya.’
Forces affiliated with the Government of National Unity broadened their efforts to assert authority over the coastal region and the western mountain region. The Libyan National Army took steps to consolidate control over its affiliated armed units in the central and southern regions. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention and other politically motivated human rights violations and abuses continued, contributing to a climate of fear and making it difficult to maintain an environment that is conducive to an inclusive political process. The Internal Security Agency continued to extract and publicly broadcast forced “confessions”, an unlawful practice.
UNSMIL continued to document systematic violations of due process and the right to a fair trial for detainees across Libya, including inadequate legal representation, procedural delays and frequent adjournments of court hearings, all of which contributed to prolonged pretrial detention. On 8 February, the Libyan National Army gave UNSMIL partial access to the military section of Kuwayfiyah prison in Benghazi, and then access to the military section of the Gernada detention facility on 11 February. UNSMIL representatives assessed the facilities and engaged with several male detainees at Gernada and with a woman detainee and her two children at Kuwayfiyah.