On June 29, 1996 Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi ordered the mass killing of prisoners of consciousness at the notorious Abu-Salim prison in Tripoli, Libya.  Inmates at the prison were never provided a fair day in court as due process of law is non-existent in Libya.  Many were originally detained on suspicion of belonging to a political party, a crime punishable by death, under Gaddafi’s revolutionary decrees.   As many as 1,200 prisoners perished in a matter of hours on the morning of June 29th, 1996.  For years, families of the victims were led to believe their loved ones were alive before leaked reports confirmed the worst.  Some families were sent certificates of death and warned not to ask questions.  They continue to struggle as they seek to uncover the truth of what happened in Abu Salim and give their loved ones a proper burial.  At a great risk to their own safety, and amid continued harassment by the state, they hold weekly protests in Libya...to continue reading, click here

Do we truly understand the gravity of the struggle for Libya’s independence in 1951?  The genocide, the concentration camps, the forced migrations, the brutality, the coercion, the inhumanity, the oppression.  It has only been 60 years—there are many among us who can still recall those days.  Yet we have failed to completely grasp the lessons of independence: that through sacrifice, courage and determination, a whole people and culture can be mobilized towards a common good.  That struggle is not always perfect, nor does it always achieve perfect results, but through it we can inch ourselves closer to greater nobility and dignity.  That struggle nurtures us...to continue reading, click here

Human Rights Watch (HRW) was recently given permission to report on Libya’s human rights conditions from within the country.  Needless to say, the opportunity is unprecedented, given Libya’s isolation and the Gaddafi regime’s allergic reaction to any form of scrutiny—whether from inside or outside.  The report was to be presented at a press conference a few days ago, where voices of many dissidents were also to be heard.  The press conference didn’t exactly go as HRW had planned.  Government agents heckled the speakers and demanded that the press conference end—which it did, chaotically.

The whole situation, from Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s invitation to the breakup of the press conference, offers some interesting, if not puzzling, food for thought for anyone speculating on the future of Libya.  Tom Malinowski, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch is reported to have said in regards to the invitation from Saif al-Islam, “There are clearly forces pressing for greater openness. That’s why we’re here.”  In response to the chaos at the press conference, he added, “But there are also powerful forces who don’t want this process to succeed.”

Anyone confused?...to continue reading, click here

Last week, riots erupted in the streets of Kufra as members of the Tabou tribe protested discriminatory policies that have denied them access to public services and facilities in Libya.  Libyan security forces were deployed to violently push back the protests.  At least two young Tabou are reported dead.

The Gaddafi regime has consistently denied the citizenship of the Tabou, who live throughout southern Libya and northern Chad.  Because of the regime’s refusal to recognize the tribe’s citizenship, the Tabou have been denied access to public services, most notably, they are refused access to public education.

For fear of negative press and the damage it could cause Gaddafi’s improved international image, the regime closed all internet cafes in Kufra during the demonstrations in order to contain any media leaks.  However, images and videos documenting the riots made it out of Libya before the shutdown took full effect...to continue reading, click here

Recent allegations of abuses in women’s shelters in Benghazi shed light on the Qaddafi regime’s embarrassing lack of accountability, despite attempts to revamp the Gaddafi brand.  After all, how can there be accountability in a country ruled by men—men who are beyond reprisal—and not laws?  To most people familiar with Libya, these recent allegations indicate more of the same in a country committed to changing its image but which has yet to show a true commitment to a change in its substance. As reports of sickening human rights violations continue to emerge, the Gaddafi regime refuses to hold those responsible to account.  It took years after the 1996 Abu Salim massacre—where over 1,200 detainees were slaughtered in a matter of minutes—for the Gaddafi regime to even acknowledge the event.  The Gaddafi Foundation, which is run by Muammer Gaddafi’s heir apparent Saif El-Islam Gaddafi, was appointed to investigate the massacre and to arrive at the most expedient conclusion:  accept that the event occurred, deny involvement, deflect responsibility....to continue reading, click here

At his United Nations debut, Colonel Moammar Gaddafi of Libya reminded the rest of the world of what it already knew, that he has completely lost touch with reality.  Gaddafi’s visit to the United States, the first in forty years, offered him an opportunity to redeem himself in the aftermath of his unabashed warm welcome to the only man convicted of bombing the Pan Am 103 airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.  However, the brother leader, as he prefers to be called, could not resist the opportunity to unleash his bizarre views on unrelated topics despite their illogic, irrelevancy, and pure absurdity.  But then again, that is Colonel Moammar Gaddafi, a self touted “leader of revolutionaries”, a tyrant who by habit shows little regard to the opinion of others.  And, to the disappointment of most Libyans....to continue reading, click here