The Government of National Unity issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it described as the “humiliating and inhumane detention” of House of Representatives member Ibrahim Al-Dressi, following the release of leaked footage and images showing the MP in shocking conditions—bound in a dark place, with a pale face and an exhausted body.
The government asserted that what happened constitutes “an affront to human dignity and a blatant assault on moral values,” describing the scene as reminiscent of practices typical of authoritarian regimes.
It stressed that its political disagreement with the MP does not prevent it from condemning what he was subjected to, labeling the incident “a fully-fledged crime that cannot be justified by any circumstances or context.”
The Government of National Unity held all those who participated in, concealed, or colluded in the incident fully accountable, specifically naming “the General Command in eastern Libya,” after the MP was seen in the leaked video pleading for pardon from them.
The statement also directly blamed House Speaker Aqila Saleh for his silence and failure to respond to the abuse of a fellow MP, describing his inaction as “an unacceptable abandonment of political and moral responsibility.”
The government called for an urgent and independent international investigation under the supervision of a fact-finding mission to uncover the circumstances of the incident, ensure the MP’s safety, and hold all perpetrators accountable “regardless of their positions or affiliations.”
It warned that the continued practice of enforced disappearances and violations of parliamentary immunity without accountability “threatens the political process and entrenches a climate of impunity.”
The Government of National Unity stated that any decisions issued by the House of Representatives under “an atmosphere of intimidation and the absence of constitutional safeguards” lack legitimacy. It urged members of the House to “liberate the council’s will from the grip of military geography and the presidency of the parliament, and to reject any guardianship imposed on parliamentary decisions outside the will of the people’s representatives.”
