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David Olaver and Hassan Azakaria are sure the authorities and armed militias would kill them if they could find their hideout somewhere in Libya.

To escape, they stay out of public sight, move from one place to another under cover of darkness, and take extreme cautionary measures to ensure their calls are not intercepted.

Both have appealed for help to escape Libya. They accuse the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) in Tripoli and Libyan officials of dodging their desperate pleas for safety.

The pair, who have campaigned about the ill-treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Libya, spoke to The Independent from two unidentified locations in the country.

David explains how he survived another attack by three armed men on Friday. I am afraid I would be killed once arrested, he says.

Hassan, who had to separate from David to avoid being arrested together, and is now also on the run, says he is gripped with fear of the unknown.

We move from one place to another to avoid being arrested. If they arrest anyone of us, he will definitely die because of what weve been doing, he says.

David is an outspoken illegal migrant from South Sudan. He has created a website and has been active on Twitter to denounce the treatment of refugees detained in Libya.

Hassan is Sudanese and has been stranded in Libya for more than three years. Both failed at least three times to cross the Mediterranean to Europe as they fled civil war, social unrest and corruption in their respective countries.

A Libyan human rights activist, who is close to David and Hassan and spoke under condition of anonymity for safety reasons, warned that both activists are in great danger.

The Libyan authorities and militias are looking for David and Hassan, and this is proof of their influence and courage.

A Libyan government spokesperson and other officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment by The Independent.

In October, the Libyan authorities rounded up more than 5,000 migrants in the western town of Gargaresh, including hundreds of children and women, many pregnant, according to the UN. Authorities at the time described it as a security operation against illegal migration and drug trafficking.

Activists say that since then the situation of stranded refugees and asylum seekers in Libya has only deteriorated.

When Gargaresh was attacked, I managed to escape. The day after, I organised a peaceful demonstration with others who escaped from the prison, David says.

David, who has become a spokesperson for a large number of migrants, has been part of negotiations with the UNHCR and Libyan illegal immigration authorities over the relocation of refugees and better detention conditions.

But last week, Libyan security forces violently dispersed and arrested more than 600 refugees and asylum seekers and burned down their makeshift tents where they had been camping out in front of the UNHCR centre in Tripoli since last October.

Those arrested were sent to a detention centre in the nearby town of Ain Zara, while others managed to flee.

Libya has been in constant turmoil since an uprising toppled and killed long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The North African country has since become the main transit point for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

According to the UN, Libya currently hosts 43,113 registered refugees and asylum-seekers. Up to 90 per cent of people crossing the Mediterranean to Europe depart from Libya.

Traffickers pack ill-equipped rubber or wooden boats with migrants, many fleeing war or poverty in Africa and the Middle East. But thousands have drowned during the dangerous journey, and those rescued and then returned to Libya are often taken to overcrowded and inhumane detention camps that are rife with torture, sexual assault and other abuses.

David and Hassan say they are on the run to avoid being arrested and killed. After last weeks crackdown, David says the pair have become primary targets for the authorities.

They came and called our names out, as the leaders of the protests, he says. He also claims he received phone calls from unknown numbers for two days in an apparent attempt to pinpoint his location.

David says he had to change his phone SIM card and location multiple times to avoid his Libyan neighbours identifying him.

I had changed eight places in four days. I barely sleep, he says. I have been imprisoned so many times here in Libya and dodged countless detentions. Now my life is at risk.

David accuses the UNHCR of failing to provide him and hundreds of activists and migrants in Libya with safety from the inhumane treatment meted out by authorities.

I am afraid I would be killed once arrested. Libya doesnt want me; the militias dont like what I do, and the UNHCR doesnt want to protect me.

Here is the original post:
Ill be killed once arrested: The migrant activists trapped in Libya with a target on their backs - The Independent

Libya was the most popular departure point for illegal crossings into southern Europe last year, the European Border and Guard Agency said.

One-third of about 200,000 people who were stopped last year by coastal and border guards in European countries had arrived by crossing the Central Mediterranean.

The route runs from North Africa, primarily from Libya, to Italy.

Frontex, as the agency is called, said in its latest survey illegal immigration is up 83 per cent, year-on-year.

The UNs refugee agency said the popularity of the route was unlikely to drop, owing to Libyas proximity to Europe and that political instability in the country prevented an effective border force operation from being mounted.

Most of those using the route rely on unstable vessels and rickety boats to cross dangerous waters. They are often subject to exploitation by human traffickers.

The total number registered by Frontex in 2021 is the highest since 2017.

People migrating illegally or seeking refuge have seized on the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions in many countries.

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Up to 65,000 people have tried to reach Europe from Libya or Tunisia.

They were followed by nearly 60,000 from the Balkans, the report said.

The border authorities returned more than 18,000 citizens of non-EU states to 102 destination countries last year.

About one in 10 of all detected irregular crossings last year occurred on the Eastern Mediterranean route, from about 20,000 people. The Eastern Mediterranean route refers to arrivals from Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria.

Syrians remained the most frequently reported nationality of the people detected when crossing the border without permission, followed by Tunisians, Moroccans, Algerians and Afghans.

As in 2020, women continued to make up fewer than one in 10 arrivals in 2021, a significant drop in their share compared with that in 2019.

A migrant rescued by Tunisia's national guard during an attempt to enter Europe by crossing the Mediterranean by boat at the port of El Ketef, near the border with Libya. All photos: AFP

The Frontex data cover only people who tried to enter the EU illegally and were caught. There is no accurate information on the number of people who infiltrated the bloc.

But the International Organisation for Migration estimates that about 610,000 migrants, comprising more than 44 nationalities, are in Libya.

Many of them have escaped war and poverty elsewhere in Africa and hope to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean.

The UN has condemned the Libyan authorities for subjecting tens of thousands of migrants to appalling treatment including enslavement, torture and rape.

On Monday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said more than 12,000 people were known to be held in 27 prisons and detention centres in Libya and that thousands more were being detained illegally.

To curb migration through the Mediterranean, EU countries, chiefly Italy, have signed agreements with Libyan officials to train and equip local coastguards.

Migrants aboard a rubber boat end up in the water before being rescued by 'Sea Watch-3' crew members, approximately 35 miles from Libya. All photos: AP

Last year was one of the deadliest for illegal migration to Europe by sea or land, with at least 4,400 deaths, the IOM said.

The figure could be far higher because unseaworthy boats often sink without a trace.

A group of international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said in a joint statement last year that the Central Mediterranean route is one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.

Many lives could be saved if EU member states ensured and enabled robust search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean. Theres no evidence that SAR operations encourage people to embark, the statement said.

The first presidential election was due to take place in Libya on December 24, followed by legislative polls, but the UN-sponsored electoral process was postponed owing to political tension.

Updated: January 19th 2022, 5:18 AM

Originally posted here:
Libya still the most popular starting point for illegal migration to Europe - The National

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Situation in Libya - International Criminal Court

American prosecutors and law enforcement officers have announced they are to return an ancient antiquity to Libya after investigators concluded that smugglers had stolen the marble artefact from its country of origin.

It is with great pleasure that we are returning the Veiled Head of a Female back to the nation of Libya, from where it was looted during civil unrest, Erik Rosenblatt, deputy special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations in New York, said in a statement.

Though this antiquity has a monetary value of more than $1.2 million, it is the historical and sentimental value of the antiquities that renders it priceless to the people of Libya.

A long investigation last month concluded that New York billionaire Michael H Steinhardt bought the antiquity in 2000. It came from a tomb in the ancient city of Cyrene, modern day Shahhat, in north-eastern Libya.

Founded in the seventh century BC, Cyrene was added to the World Heritage List in 1992. Since the downfall of the former regime of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, the region's priceless land witnessed illegal construction of housing blocs and looting incidents with artefacts smuggled and sold abroad.

Prosecutors have worked over the past five years with investigators from several countries including Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Turkey and Lebanon.

They said Mr Steinhardt whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $1.2 billion has owned and traded more than 1,000 antiquities since 1987 and his art collection has been valued at about $200m.

American billionaire Michael Steinhardt has agreed to turn over $70 million worth of stolen antiquities and will be subject to an unprecedented lifetime ban on acquiring such items. AP

His lawyers said he agreed to surrender 180 stolen antiquities valued at $70m. Mr Steinhardt, 81, from Brooklyn, has been banned for life from acquiring antiquities.

Im committed to ensuring transactions in the art industry are legal and those peddling in stolen or looted antiquities are shut down," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. "While the million-dollar price-tag on this relic is impressive, you cant put a price on a countrys cultural heritage.

The Veiled Head of a Female is the first object of the looted collection from 11 countries to be repatriated.

A Neolithic mask (C) loaned by Michael Steinhardt is displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. AP

The antiquities had been trafficked for years by 12 illicit networks and appeared on the international art market without legal paperwork.

New York state laws allow prosecutors to return stolen property such as antiquities to its rightful owners irrespective of when the theft took place.

The US is one of the first countries to sign and ratify the 1970 Unesco Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

Unesco estimates the illegal trading in antiquities and cultural valuables rakes is worth about $10bn a year.

Updated: January 13th 2022, 4:48 PM

See original here:
US to return looted Veiled Head of a Female antiquity to Libya - The National

Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 after a civil war toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. The North African nation has been embroiled in conflict and violence since, which have taken a heavy toll on the countrys economy and population.

The latest round of fighting left thousands of people displaced and several others without any source of income. Amid the chaos, many migrants in a desperate bid to reach Europe find themselves at risk of being trapped or abused.

In Libya, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is working to help families find loved ones missing due to conflict, assist returnees, and help the countrys weakened health systems during the pandemic.

Daily News Egypt interviewed Jean-Nicolas Marti, the Head of the ICRC Libya Delegation, to find out about the organisations efforts to alleviate the suffering in the North African nation.

How does the ICRC assist people that have been displaced due to the conflict in Libya?

More than 20,000 people have returned to their homes near the former frontlines in the southern neighbourhoods of Tripoli. After over a year-long displacement, families came back to destroyed homes, scarce resources, and a lack of crucial services such as electricity, water, and health.

The ICRC has also been assisting displaced persons from Ain Zara; some of whom returned to the area to help cope with the situation.

Years of instability and fighting has greatly affected the socio-economic fabric; many Libyans, especially returnees, are struggling in the middle of a crumbling economy.

We have distributed food assistance to around 30,000 displaced people and returnees as well as provided returnees with basic household appliances.

The ICRC has also provided cash transfers to many families in dire need.

How does the ICRC assist with prisoner exchanges between warring parties in Libya?

We have offered our services to both parties the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Government of National Accord (GNA) at the time and now the Government of National Unity (GNU). However, they have not picked up our effort; so, they had other mechanisms.

I think there were a few exchanges that have been made through the tribal leaders and elders that have met last year. There was also one exchange that was organised by the Joint Military Commission (JMC, 5+5), but for now, the ICRC has not been involved with prisoners exchange.

In 2019, we created a tripartite mechanism between the LNA, GNA, and the ICRC. The military officers from both sides met together with the ICRC to discuss emergency humanitarian assistance, like the evacuation of the war wounded, the repatriation of remains, and providing safe passage for convoys.

This continued through the conflict, but it is not active right now. We also met in November 2021 in Tunis to discuss missing persons, access to detainees, and teaching international humanitarian law to the army and security forces. This is the way we operate in Libya.

What role does the ICRC play to improve health conditions in Libya, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

We have a substantial health programme in Libya because the health system has been suffering from 10 years of conflict and a lack of maintenance. The health system in Libya is not strong enough, and after the pandemic, it has become quite difficult to cope with.

In terms of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICRC does not directly vaccinate Libyans, but we are training Libyan authorities on COVID-19 protective measures and helping distribute some protective materials to medical staff in prisons and detention centres.

These programmes are active in places where the ICRC has a presence, namely, Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi, and Sabha in the south. Wherever we are, we provide some training for medical services and some training for the volunteers of the Libyan Red Crescent Society, which is our main partner in the country.

Regarding Sabha, can you elaborate on the humanitarian situation in the Libyan south and the ICRCs role?

For us, Sabha is a place where we have only Libyan nationals working for us, we also have international staff that only visit for a day, as the security situation does not allow us yet to have international staff fully based there. Therefore, we have less capacity to provide assistance. Also, access to the South is a bit difficult, the main problem there is related to criminal gangs and less control over these areas.

Fortunately, Sabha and the south are not densely populated, compared to Libyas coastal areas.

How do you view the upcoming elections in Libya?

This is the first ever presidential election to take place in the North African nation, we see the tension rising and we hope that these tensions can be absorbed so that no armed groups or any actors resort to violence, because civilians are going to pay the price as always.

The situation is very unpredictable, the situation today is not the same as it was a few days ago, so we are watching and are prepared for any scenarios.

It is in the DNA of the ICRC to talk to everybody, so we try to keep channels of communications open with all parties and actors.

How does the ICRC assist with the migrant situation in Libya?

We have a dialogue with the Libyan authorities, the EU, and member states on the humanitarian consequences of their migration policies. We do that bilaterally with all actors trying to demonstrate the fact that Libya is not a safe place for migrants to stay.

Also, we offer migrants the possibility of using the services of the ICRC when it comes to re-establishing family links; some of them have relatives that have been missing in the Mediterranean Sea, so we try to help them retrieve the bodies.

Moreover, migrants also benefit from the ICRC programmes in terms of support to hospitals and healthcare facilities.

In your opinion, what are the most urgent humanitarian needs in Libya and how can the international community assist in this regard?

There are two kinds of needs in Libya. Long-term needs, such as the health and water systems as well as the power network, which have been hardly maintained over the last few years. Therefore, the pressure on these systems is tremendous. The level of destruction in Southern Tripoli and downtown Benghazi is quite excessive. This will need long-term commitment from development actors to rebuild.

Next to that, Libya has some urgent needs in terms of the population trying to return to their homes and people who have lost their income due to losing the breadwinner of the family. So, there are several urgent needs for the people in Libya. I think that, at the moment, the most important thing for international actors is to try to decrease the tensions and avoid another phase of violence.

Violence always creates humanitarian consequences for the civilian population.

Can you elaborate on the ICRCs family reunification efforts in Libya?

It is a very complex process as we have very different situations. You have migrants who have lost contact with their families back home, which means that we have to contact the ICRC or the Red Crescent Society to ensure that they find the family over there and then establish links.

If it is a tracing request for people who have gone missing during the conflict, we contact the branch or Red Crescent in the specific area to try to locate them. Sometimes, we receive allegations of arrests, so we go to the detaining authorities and request information about these alleged detainees.

The whole process includes efforts from the ICRC and Red Crescent and partners from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement all around the world who are at the receiving end of the migrant population.

Can you tell us about other ICRC programmes in Libya?

In Downtown Benghazi, there is a huge level of destruction. I have 25 years of ICRC experience in Afghanistan, Yemen, and many other places, but I have never seen this level of destruction.

Six years on, there have been no repairs and you can still see the destroyed water sewage system.

We have been working for months on a master plan to repair the sewage system in Benghazi. This sewage system will not be repaired by the ICRC alone, as it is already quite costly to draw the plan and make sure that it includes all parameters.

It will be up to us to bring it to the attention of the international financial institutions and developmental actors who would be willing to implement it with the Libyan authorities.

It is going to be a multiple-year project and it will be very costly; estimated at a few hundred million dollars.

We started getting in touch with international financiers like the World Bank, the French Development Agency, and the African Development Bank to promote the plan and share it once it is officially launched. It is expected to be ready by the end of 2022.

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge that faces the ICRC in Libya?

For us, the biggest challenge is to ensure the safety of our staff in Libya, we do not walk with an armed escort, and we do not live in fortified compounds, we rely only on the acceptance of all the parties of the conflict.

It is working well for the moment, but the ICRC does not have a very long history in Libya. Therefore, it will take some time until we have the necessary guarantees for our staff to work.

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Libya needs long-term commitment from development actors to rebuild health, water, and power systems: ICRC Libya Chief - Daily News Egypt