LIBYA: Prisons in the country have been criticised by human rights groups, with groups last year saying torture of prisoners is widespread across the country

Record ID: 375605

  • Title: LIBYA: Prisons in the country have been criticised by human rights groups, with groups last year saying torture of prisoners is widespread across the country
  • Date: 12th February 2013
  • Summary: LIBYA, TRIPOLI (FEBRUARY 10, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ARRWIMI PRISON IN TRIPOLI LIBYAN FLAG VEHICLES INSIDE PRISON YARD VARIOUS OF PRISONERS IN YARD VARIOUS OF KITCHEN STAFF PEELING ONIONS MAN STIRRING POT POT OF FOOD MORE OF PRISONERS IN YARD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PRISONER, KHALIFA FARAJ, SAYING: "The treatment is fine, let me tell you something, they have their righ
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEUTRFT8UOF1KQUQF1NZS9I89Z
  • Story Text: Libya's Arrwimi prison in Tripoli accommodates more than 300 prisoners, most of the inmates are in prison charged with crimes committed during the country's revolution.
    Prisoners here say they have access to hot food, water and a place to sleep. But conditions in Libya's prisons have been criticised by human rights groups.
    Only last year Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch charged that torture of prisoners is widespread across the country.
    Rights groups say the prisons are being used as sites to wreak revenge against those who fought for former leader Muammar Gaddafi and also as bargaining chips in the struggle for who ultimately will hold power in Libya.
    U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon first complained last November that thousands of detainees were being held in prisons run by former rebels without access to due legal process.
    Prisoner Khalifa Faraj is still awaiting trial, he told Reuters he has access to a lawyer, and that prisoners need to adhere to the rules in the jail.
    "The treatment is fine, let me tell you something, they have their rights (the Jailers) and we have ours, and there are rules, if you follow the rules you will be fine, these things are obvious, and if you don't follow the rules there will be punishments, and these are in all the prisons,'' he said speaking in the prison yard.
    Many of the prisoners are fighters who fought under Gaddafi.
    Inmate Motaz Samar, is one of the former fighters, he has served more than a year of his five year sentence.
    "We have everything here like everyone else outside, (Reporter asks: Like what?) we have hot and cold water, food, coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and we have a good place to sleep. (Reporter asks: And how is your health?) Thank god it is 100 per cent," said Samar.
    Arrwimi prison existed under Gaddafi, like many detention centres in the country, many of the jailers were revolutionary fighters.
    "When we got here after the liberation of Tripoli, one of the first brigades to control the Arrwimi prison was Shohada Alasima (Capital Martyrs) brigade, so we left a unit belonging to our brigade. At the beginning it is true that some mistakes might have happened from some revolutionaries with the prisoners, but with time and with the awareness and guidance for these guys, thank god the prisoners have been treated very well, even if there are some mistakes sometimes, which is normal," said prison supervisor Morad Zikry.
    Prison Legal Affairs Director, Akram Al-Abedi, said most of those in the jail were men who took part in a number of 'massacres' in the country.
    ''Most of their cases are security cases, the events of the February 17 revolution from 18/2 to 20/8 the day of liberation (2011), most of these cases are about the Abu Salim massacre, the highway massacre, the massacre of Abu Harida next to Bab al Azizia, the case of the airport assault, and the organisations and the 32nd brigade and Emhimmed al-Migarief brigade and the other brigades of the previous regime," said Al-Abedi.
    Earlier this month Libya said it was going to close many of the temporary detention centres across the country and open a new centralised facility near the capital.
    Libyan Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani said the government is committed to closing the temporary facilities. He has promised to start taking control of prisons away from militias, but according to observers, progress so far has been slow.
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