On November 6, 2024, the Minister of Interior of Libya’s National Unity Government, Imad Al-Trabelsi, announced that the morality police, which had been abolished in 2011, would be reactivated. Trabelsi also stated that he will discuss with the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister imposing a mandate that all female students in Libya wear a hijab.
Trabelsi stated said that he is seeking a qualified official to head the morality police department within the Ministry of Interior. He emphasized that the morality police will have jurisdiction in all the provinces throughout Libya, despite the fact that separate governments control the eastern and western parts of the country.
Sources close to the minister have reported that his decision to reinstate the morality police was driven by reports of a rise in moral crimes across the country.
According to a report in the al Quds al Arabi newspaper, Trabelsi also stated individuals posting content on social media that does not align with the culture and customs of Libyan society will be prosecuted. Trabelsi further asserted that those who advocate for personal freedoms without regard to Libyan traditions and customs should leave the country, and that those who wear inappropriate clothing, both male or female, will be detained and prosecuted. The same newspaper reported that members of the morality police will be required take religious training.
Background on Libyan Government Structure
Libya has suffered civil strife since the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. In 2014, two different governments took control of eastern and western Libya. The National Accord Government, which was recognized by the United Nations, controlled western Libya, with its capital located in the city of Tripoli. In eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, a former general in the Libyan National Army, established a government allied with the Libyan House of Representatives in the city of Tobruk.
In February 2021, the Government of National Unity was created and headed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, replacing the Government of National Accord. In September 2021, Libya’s House of Representatives in Tobruk passed a no-confidence vote to remove the Government of National Unity. In February 2022, the Government of National Stability was created, with the north central city of Sirte as its capital, after the House of Representatives selected Fathi Bashagha as prime minister. Both General Haftar and the Libyan House of Representatives have endorsed the Government of National Stability. However, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, the prime minister of the Government of National Unity in western Libya, has rejected the creation of the Government of National Stability and refuses to step down, saying he would relinquish power only after a national election.
Reactions to Trabelsi’s Statements
International human rights organizations such Amnesty International objected to Minister Trabelsi’s comments on the imposition of mandatory hijab. Bassam Al Kantar, Amnesty International’s Libya Researcher, argued that this and similar measures discriminate against women and violate the right of religious freedom for non-Muslims residing in Libya.
Similarly, some Libyan legal scholars argue that the minister’s statement on hijab violates the 2011 Libyan constitutional declaration on personal freedoms. Article 7 of the constitutional declaration stipulates that the Libyan state shall protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, seek to join international and regional declarations and charters that protect these rights and freedoms, and work to issue new charters that honor man as God’s representative on earth. It was also noted that the influence of the National Unity Government is limited to the western provinces only.
George Sadek, Law Library of Congress
December 3, 2024
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