A report by United Nations (UN) experts urged Khalifa Haftar's forces to immediately stop forcibly evicting residents and demolishing homes in Benghazi - eastern Libya - and to end reprisals and violence against demonstrators.
The report that was issued on Monday said that more than 20,000 people from Benghazi had been forcibly evacuated from their homes in a short time, and coerced into giving up their properties and documents by Tariq bin Ziyad and 20/20 Brigades.
The UN experts indicated that there were no prior consultations with the residents regarding the eviction decision, noting that there was no plan to compensate them as well, or to provide any assistance to secure new housing equal to the value of their homes.
The UN experts also expressed concern about the prevention and dispersal of demonstrators and the arbitrary arrest and detention of some human rights defenders and residents opposed to the eviction process.
Concerning the demolition of archaeological and historical sites in the city, the report said that the deliberate demolitions caused irreparable damage to the urban architectural structure in the city, explaining that the destruction deprived residents of important archaeological and religious sites that bear witness to the long history of human civilization in the city.
The experts' report revealed the possible involvement of various domestic or foreign companies, calling for clarification of the situation and the prevention of further arbitrary destruction and human rights violations.
The experts expressed their regret that no investigations had been conducted so far by the judicial authorities despite the submission of complaints to the Public Prosecutor since March 2023, considering that the evictions involved criminal liability and other legal responsibilities.
