Amnesty International has condemned the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) in a Tuesday report for authorizing the Internal Security Agency (ISA) to increase crackdown on dissidents.

Amnesty International interviewed detainees, including family, lawyers, and activists, and stated that the suppression of political rivals and activists has resulted in human rights abuses and two suspicious deaths in detention centers under the command of armed forces. Ahmed Abdel Moneim Al-Zawi died on July 10, 2024, after having been arbitrarily detained in an ISA prison in Ajdabiya and signs of physical violence were found on his body. Siraj Dughman died on April 19, 2024, and the ISA office in Benghazi claimed that he had died after attempting to escape. There have been no investigations into the deaths, and no one has since been held responsible for them.

In January, the ISA arrested people without warrants in regions under the authority of the LAAF. Those arrested were arbitrarily detained for months without being able to contact a lawyer, some detainees disappeared and none stood before a court. Amnesty International’s Libya Researcher, Bassam Al Kantar, said that the arbitrary detentions and deaths while in custody demonstrate the violation of detainees’ right to life and that the authorities in eastern and southern Libya must release those who were arbitrarily detained for freedom of expression.

Led by Ousama Al-Dressi, the ISA operates under the  LAAF, which is in turn under the command of Khalifa Haftar, and is said to have historically violated human rights. The LAAF is in control of Benghazi and regions of eastern and southern Libya, implementing government powers. In 2011, Libya underwent the overthrow of dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and the LAAF seized Libya’s east in 2019, taking control of territories and destroying political opponents. Its power was intensified by transnational support from countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Russia, and France, with military backing, including weaponry and air power. In a commentary, Libyan consultant and researcher Emadeddin Badi suggested that Haftar hopes to create a “quasi-military dictatorship,” and said that Europe must act to help unify Libya under democratic rule.

Amnesty International released a report in 2023, detailing Libyan armed groups’ attacks on civilian society, their arbitrary detainments, and violation of human rights. LGBT+ people are detained, women and girls face violence, civilian infrastructure is destroyed, freedom of expression is removed and civilians are wounded, killed, and subjected to forced labor. Armed groups are also committing indiscriminate attacks, which violates Article 51(4) of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions, which Libya is a state party to, and human rights international law and under Article 33 of the Libyan Code of Criminal Procedure, unlawful detention is prohibited.