TRIPOLI: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya called Sunday for an investigation into a political activist鈥檚 death while detained at an eastern military base controlled by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
UNSMIL also demanded the 鈥渋mmediate release鈥� of other prisoners it said were being detained 鈥渁rbitrarily鈥� by the war-torn country鈥檚 eastern-based authorities.
In a statement on X, the UN mission said it was 鈥渄eeply saddened by the death of activist Siraj Dughman while in custody at Rajma military camp鈥� and urged the Libyan 鈥渁uthorities to conduct a transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.鈥�
Plagued by political instability and violence since the overthrow of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Libya is split between an internationally recognized government, based in Tripoli, and a rival administration in the east backed by Haftar.
The base at Rajma, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) east of Benghazi, serves as Haftar鈥檚 headquarters.
In a video published on Saturday, the Haftar-affiliated Eastern Internal Security Agency confirmed Dughman鈥檚 death.
The agency said it had commissioned a forensic examination according to which Dughman had died 鈥渨hile attempting to escape prison on Friday鈥� when he fell 鈥渇rom a window, fracturing his skull.鈥�
The agency said he was arrested in October 2023 together with several others accused of 鈥減articipating in a campaign鈥� inciting the 鈥渙verthrow of official state agencies鈥� including Haftar鈥檚 forces.
UNSMIL said that Dughman 鈥渨as arbitrarily arrested and detained in 2023鈥� with other Benghazi-based staff members of the Libyan Center for Future Studies, an independent think tank, who 鈥渨ere never formally charged or appeared in court.鈥�
Dughman was the director of the organization鈥檚 office in Benghazi, eastern Libya鈥檚 main city.
Extrajudicial arrests, detentions and assassinations of political dissidents, activists and human rights defenders have become common in Libya, particularly in the North African country鈥檚 east.
The Libyan Center for Future Studies said the security agency was 鈥渞esponsible for his death鈥� which occurred in 鈥渙bscure circumstances.鈥�