The National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) renewed its call to the security and military authorities in the east of the country to release the politicians (Fathi Al-Baja, Seraj Daghman and Tariq Al-Bashari) in addition to the human rights activist, Salem Ebeas, who have been arbitrarily detained in the Internal Security Apparatus prison in Benghazi since the beginning of last October.
NCHRL confirmed in a statement on Monday that the men's detention was without any justification or legal basis, as it was outside the rules of the Libyan Code of Criminal Procedure, or that they were presented to the Public Prosecution to decide on the legality of their detention, which is a flagrant violation of the principles of human rights, citizenship, and basic as well as public freedoms.
NCHRL called on the authorities to work in accordance with national laws and legislation and international conventions that protect these rights and freedoms that are binding on parties, including the State of Libya.
It also called on the Libyan authorities in the east of the country to ensure respect for freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of political and partisan action, and to stop practicing repression and confiscation of political and civil liberties guaranteed in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration and applicable legislation.
NCHRL reminded the Libyan authorities and security apparatuses in the country that freedom of opinion and expression is a basic human right, stipulated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Every person has the right to enjoy freedom of opinion and expression without harassment," as the Constitutional Declaration stipulates in its seventh article that the state protects human rights and basic freedoms.
Al-Baja and his companions - who are founders of a political party with liberal tendencies - have been arrested since the beginning of October, and sources close to them confirm that the reason for their arrest is that Haftar’s forces accuse them of conspiring to overthrow the “armed forces and the regime.”
