Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Commander-in-Chief of the National Army in Libya, distanced himself from the ongoing disputes within the House of Representatives between supporters of the Speaker of the House, Aguila Saleh, and opponents demanding reform of the House, changing its presidency, and amending its internal regulations.
On Thursday, Haftar met in his office at the General Command headquarters in Benghazi with about 65 deputies from both parties, in light of a state of severe tension within the Council, especially after his president’s opponents were prevented from holding a session to discuss the internal regulations on September 21 of last year.
The General Command said that Field Marshal Haftar welcomed the members of the House of Representatives and “praised their role and national responsibility during this stage.” He also stressed “the importance of concerted efforts and putting the nation’s interest, unity and sovereignty above all else.”
Many bet on the results of the meeting, which ended on Thursday evening, after which Haftar affirmed his “support for the efforts aimed at ending the state of division and unifying state institutions,” praising “the role of the House of Representatives in the political track and the outcomes of the (4 + 4) committee.”
A parliamentarian who attended the meeting told Asharq Al-Awsat that Field Marshal Haftar “preferred to distance himself from the polarization taking place within Parliament, and did not support one party over the other, and directed the necessity of dialogue between representatives to find a way to organize his internal affairs away from any interference.”
The representative, who requested that his name not be mentioned, believes that there are “those who involve Haftar’s two sons, Major General Saddam and Khaled, in the ongoing disputes in the House of Representatives, for the purpose of a quarrel.” He said that Parliament “is capable of managing its affairs without any tutelage from anyone.”
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar, Director General of the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund, Belkacem Haftar, and a number of deputies.
Regarding the situation within the army, Haftar stressed “the readiness of the armed forces and their ability to protect the homeland and confront any threat that affects Libya’s security, sovereignty and stability.”
86 deputies accused the Presidency of the House of Representatives of preventing them from entering the House headquarters and holding a session with a full quorum to discuss reforming the House of Representatives and amending its internal regulations, recalling that they were prevented eight months before holding a session.
The representatives said that they “do not aim to disrupt any existing political or electoral path, including the (4 + 4) path to which they previously announced their approval, but rather to reform the work of the House of Representatives and enable its members to exercise their duties in accordance with the provisions regulating the work of the House.”
Haftar previously welcomed the signing of the “4 + 4” agreement, and stressed the importance of continuing to work on the consensus achieved, calling for “complementing efforts aimed at supporting stability, ending the state of division, and realizing the aspirations of the Libyan people.”
The agreement, which was signed by eight representatives from eastern and western Libya on August 30, inside the mission’s headquarters in the Janzur region in northwestern Libya, was welcomed by local and international parties, and the UN mission considered it “an important step towards overcoming the political and institutional impasse, which hindered the electoral process in Libya.”
A movement against the “settlement of migrants” in Libya called for organizing a demonstration, on Friday, in “Martyrs’ Square” in the capital, Tripoli, to demand the start of what it described as “the immediate deportation of migrants who entered Libya irregularly,” stressing at the same time their adherence to “the peacefulness of their movements and their refusal to resort to violence.”
The movement mobilizes popularly with the aim of deporting irregular migrants from Libya to their countries. Lawyer Thuraya Al-Twaibi, one of the prominent figures in the movement, said that the foreign ministries of the two Libyan governments must address the concerned countries to transfer their nationals, with the exception of workers who she described as “real” and those who have a legal residence permit.
The movement said, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, that “rumors and calls” were circulating about the possibility of acts of violence or confrontations with irregular migrants “that are not in line with our principles,” stressing that any statements to the contrary that are not published on its official pages “do not express our opinion.”
Libyan pages on social media circulated widely about irregular migrants threatening acts of violence to force them to leave Libya, which was rejected by the movement.
The movement declared its “complete innocence” of any acts of violence, incitement, or violations that may be committed against immigrants, stressing that its path since its launch has been characterized by peacefulness and legal, popular, and awareness-raising work. He said that his goal is to “protect the nation through state institutions by fundamental and legal means only,” reiterating his rejection of any action that violates the law or deviates from the framework of peace.
The movement also called on the security services and the anti-irregular migration agency to “do their role towards the homeland and the citizen,” against the backdrop of what it described as a crisis resulting from the large numbers of migrants in the streets and squares, and once again rejected what it called “settlement” in any form.
The movement confirmed that its movements over the past two years were peaceful, and that it did not assault anyone. He also announced, in a joint statement with the “Misrata Movement Against the Settlement of Foreigners and Illegal Immigration,” the “Movement of the People of Tajoura Against Settlement,” and the “Movement of the Ghout al-Shaal region and its environs,” to adhere to peace and adherence to the law.
Deportation “according to legal frameworks”
For her part, journalist Salma Al-Shaab, head of the “Tripoli Activists Against Settlement” movement, defended its peacefulness, and said: “We are a movement that emerged peacefully over a year and a half, and we went to the mayors of municipalities to demand the deportation of irregular immigrants, in line with Libyan laws.”
She added: “To absorb the people’s anger before the date set by the people, we will continue our demonstrations on Friday in Martyrs’ Square. We ask you to attend, as we are people with rights, and we reject what is said about us that we call for violence.”
Meanwhile, the National Council for Liberties and Human Rights in Libya conducted a field visit to the shelter center for irregular migrants in the Bir al-Ghanam area, 90 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tripoli, as part of monitoring the conditions of migrants and directly examining the conditions of shelter and care.
The Council said on Thursday that the team reviewed data related to the number of immigrants in the center, which exceeded 360 illegal immigrants of multiple nationalities, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan. The supervising authorities explained that the majority of the cases in the center were rescued or caught at sea.
The meeting discussed the measures taken regarding the conditions of migrants, especially with regard to communication and coordination with the embassies and diplomatic missions of the countries to which they belong, and completing the necessary procedures regarding return or deportation in accordance with the legal frameworks and procedures in force, and taking into account the guarantees and principles related to human rights.
Shelter centers
After that, the joint human rights team conducted a field tour inside the center, which included the migrants’ accommodation and available facilities and services, where they examined the living and health conditions and the level of availability of basic needs, and listened to the clarifications provided by officials regarding the mechanisms for providing services and dealing with cases in the center.
The National Council stressed the importance of managing the conditions of migrants in accordance with national legislation and relevant international principles and standards, ensuring respect for human dignity, humane treatment, and the provision of health care and basic needs, paying special attention to cases and groups that may be in need of additional protection or care.
The team also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the competent national authorities and international partners, in a way that supports the development of mechanisms for managing shelter centers, improving the level of services provided to migrants, and addressing the practical challenges facing the authorities responsible for managing these centers, within a clear framework of joint legal and humanitarian responsibility.
On Thursday, the Anti-Illegal Immigration Service east of Tripoli announced the deportation of 14 Egyptian immigrants from the Illegal Immigration Center east of the capital, via Mitiga International Airport.
The agency said that the deportation process took place on Thursday morning, after completing the necessary administrative procedures in accordance with “the applicable legal frameworks.” He explained that the process comes within the framework of the Center’s ongoing efforts to implement deportation plans in accordance with the laws and regulations, and in coordination with the competent authorities, in a way that enhances the imposition of the rule of law and reduces the phenomenon of irregular migration.
On Thursday, the National People's Assembly in Algeria approved by a majority the draft law amending the Penal Code, which includes approving and expanding the scope of the death penalty to include perpetrators of crimes of intentionally setting fire to forests and property, and crimes of kidnapping children followed by murder or torture, within the framework of strengthening legal deterrence and protecting society.
The government project was voted on by a large majority thanks to the representatives of the parties supporting the policies of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, or what is known as the “presidential majority,” which are represented by the “National Liberation Front,” the “National Democratic Rally,” the “Future Front,” and the “National Construction Movement.”
The Islamists of the Movement for Society of Peace, the Ennahda Movement, and the Justice and Development Front also voted in favor of the project, based on religious reference, even though they are in the ranks of the opposition.
As for the opposition represented by the “Workers’” parties, the “Socialist Forces Front,” and the “Rally for Culture and Democracy,” its representatives took a position rejecting the government text. Due to their small number, their position did not make any significant difference during the voting process, which took place in the presence of Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa, who presented the project to the members of the Council last Monday.
Tightening opens the death penalty controversy
The text, which is causing great controversy in the country, includes eight articles, including new provisions related to the crimes of arson, assault on property, and kidnapping children.
The new article “395 bis” is considered one of the most stringent articles, as it stipulates the death penalty against “anyone who intentionally sets fire to forests, forests, or fields, whether cultivated or uncultivated, or in trees, or parts of forests,” in addition to wood stored in the form of piles or bundles within forest areas.
The text expands the scope of application of the death penalty under Article 396 bis 1, to also include “intentional burning of any property, whether public or private,” when the act is committed “for the benefit of a foreign country, or a foreign entity, and within the framework of treason, or communicating with the enemy, or belonging to an organized criminal group.”
Article 396 bis 2 also targets anyone who “incites, encourages, finances, organizes, or facilitates these acts,” including acts committed or instigated via social media networks.
As for crimes committed against children, Article 291 stipulates the death penalty against “anyone who commits the crime of kidnapping a child, torturing him, sexually assaulting him, or mutilating one of his limbs,” regardless of any other penalty for violation stipulated by the legislation in force.
According to the text, those convicted of any of these crimes do not benefit from mitigating circumstances, which adds further severity to the stipulated penalties.
The government took this step as a direct response to the massive fires that swept areas in the east of the country during the summer of this year, leaving dozens dead. As for the phenomenon of killing children after kidnapping them, it has been observed to increase in recent years in a suspicious manner.
Opposition position
The opposition expressed its fear that the new law would turn the judiciary into “a retaliatory apparatus, instead of preserving the rights of victims and accompanying them in order to regain their rights, while at the same time guaranteeing the rights of the accused and guaranteeing him a fair trial.”
Representative Muhammad Al-Abdosi, a member of parliament for the “Rally for Culture,” said: “We believe that true justice should not respond to death with death.”
He added in a speech before Parliament, reported by the media: “No person has the right to take the life of another person, and the state and the judiciary are no exception to this principle. Therefore, our position on the death penalty is principled and clear, a position we have expressed on many occasions.”
He continued: “In 2008, our parliamentary group submitted a proposal to abolish the death penalty from the Penal Code and replace it with life imprisonment.”
He continued: “In the context of the discussion on the text in Parliament, we referred to the tragedy of fires in the Kabylie region in 2021, which claimed the life of Jamal Ben Ismail (who was subjected to a brutal killing after residents of the region wrongly accused him of setting the fire). Following this crime, death sentences were issued against 48 people, before the number decreased to 38 death sentences after an appeal.”
He went on to say: “This raises a very important question: If the first rulings had been implemented, the lives of ten additional people could have been lost based on rulings that were later changed.”
He continued: “This example shows the seriousness of the punishment that cannot be undone after its implementation. Human justice, no matter how precise it may be, remains subject to error, while a death sentence cannot be corrected after its execution.”
