Killing of Intissar Al Hasairi

On the morning of 24 February 2015, the bodies of human rights defender Ms Intissar Al Hasairi and her aunt were discovered in the boot of the human rights defender's car in Tripoli by security forces. The human rights defender and her aunt had allegedly been shot by members of an armed group.

Intissar Al Hasairi was a Co-founder of Tanweer Movement, a non-political group that promotes peace and culture in Libya. The human rights defender participated in protests demanding a democratic state and respect for of the rule of law.

The bodies were found when a suspicious parked car was reported to the security authorities. They were then transferred to Abo Salim Hospital in Tripoli and identified. The human rights defender had been missing since the previous evening.

Tripoli has been under the control of Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), an alliance of Islamic militant groups, since the summer of 2014. Fajr Libya has created a parallel government in Tripoli forcing the internationally recognized government headed by Abdullah Al Thani to retreat to the east near the border with Egypt.

Reportedly, the Islamic militias in Libya maintain a black list of human rights defenders to be targeted. The listed persons promote the idea of a democratic state or other ideologies opposed to that of the armed groups. On 20 September 2014, unidentified gunmen assassinated human rights defenders and minors Messrs Tawfik Bensaud and Sami ElKawafi while they were driving near Al-Kish in Benghazi. Three months before, on 26 June 2014, human rights lawyer Ms Salwa Bugaighis was shot dead in her home in Benghazi by a group of unidentified men wearing military uniforms.

Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the killing of Intisar Al Hasairi and other human rights defenders in Libya, which is believed to be solely related to their peaceful and legitimate activities. Front Line Defenders urges non-state actors to cease targeting human rights defenders in Libya.