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A criminal court in Tripoli has sentenced four members of a human trafficking network to prison terms of up to 22 years for their roles in the abduction and torture of migrants.
The attorney general’s office announced the convictions on Tuesday, detailing a series of brutal crimes that included kidnapping individuals for ransom and sending torture videos to their families to extort payment.
Of the four defendants, three are in custody, while a fourth was sentenced in absentia, with individual prison terms ranging from 12 to 22 years.
The gang operated primarily out of Zuwara, a coastal hub known as a major departure point for those attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.
The prosecution highlighted that the group specialised in smuggling people toward the coast before subjecting them to inhumane treatment.
This legal action follows the grim discovery of 17 bodies on Zuwara’s shores just two weeks ago, underscoring the lethal risks faced by those moving through the region’s established smuggling routes.
Libya’s judicial system has recently intensified its focus on these criminal enterprises as international pressure mounts to address the systemic abuse of refugees and migrants.
Earlier this week, authorities also ordered the arrest of a separate gang in Tobruk linked to a recent shipwreck that claimed the lives of 38 people.
Despite these convictions, human rights organisations continue to urge for the closure of detention centres where migrants remain vulnerable to exploitation by both non-state actors and corrupt officials.
