Memo Regarding the Recent Events at Abu-Salim Prison in Tripoli, Libya

October 9, 2006
To the honorable members of:
UN High infomissioner for Human Rights;
The European infomission for Human Rights;
Amnesty International;
Human Rights Watch; and
The Arab Organization for Human Rights.
 

Sir / Madam,
 

The Follow-Up infomittee of the National Conference of the Libyan Opposition (NCLO) is extremely concerned with the fallout of the October 4, 2006 incident involving the use of live ammunition and tear gas against unarmed political prisoners, held at the notorious Abu-Salim prison, in Tripoli. In this incident, one political prisoner was murdered and several were injured. It is reminiscent of the heinous crime infomitted by the Gadhafi regime on June 29, 1996, in the same prison, which resulted in the cold-blood murder of 1,200 political prisoners who were peacefully protesting against their inhumane prison conditions and requesting improvements.
 

The information we received, and continue to receive, confirms without a doubt the fears of the prisoners and their families, who were contacted via telephone, that the security forces would raid the prison cells, torture prisoners and murder them. Supporting these fears is the fact that the Libyan authorities have already imposed a security and military lockdown of Abu-Salim prison and all roads leading to it, and the hospitals where the fatalities and injured were taken. The authorities have also banned any contacts between prisoners and their families.
 

We in the Follow-Up infomittee, in light of the events of June 29, 1996, and now the events of October 4, 2006, and based on the concerns and fears expressed by the prisoners and their families, plead with you to contact the Libyan authorities and warn them against taking any actions that would endanger or harm the lives of these political prisoners. We ask you please to request that the Libyan authorities immediately release these prisoners and stop intimidating and terrorizing them and their families. The Libyan authorities must be urged to launch an investigation into these prison incidents. The authorities must also be forced to abide by their prior vows to investigate the Abu-Salim prison Massacre of 1996. The Libyan authorities must be urged to respect the international conventions that bind all signatories to respect human rights and guarantee civil liberties.
 

Finally, we thank the Amnesty International and other human right organizations for their endeavor and support and hope that they do what their conscience and human obligation dictates toward these prisoners.
 

The Follow-Up infomittee
The National Conference of the Libyan Opposition