The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Libya.

Brief description of the situation:

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable
source about developments in the trial of at least 98 prisoners of
conscience in Tripoli, Libya.

According to the information received, a group of at least 98 prisoners of
conscience are being tried before the people’s court, having been
arbitrarily arrested en masse in Libya’s main cities during June 1998,
ostensibly on the grounds of political opposition and, more specifically,
for supporting or showing sympathy for the underground Islamic
movement, the Libyan Islamic Group. This movement is not known to
have used or advocated violence. The detainees include university
lecturers, engineers, medical doctors, university students and
businessmen. A list of their names can, if required, be obtained from
OMCT. It is thought that the total number of people arrested for their
political activities during the wave of arrests in 1998 may be as high as
140, although it has only been possible to obtain the names of 98 of them
so far.

According to the information received, the 98 prisoners were brought
before the people’s court in Tripoli for the third closed session of the
trial on June 3rd, 2001, having already attended closed sessions on March
18th, 2001 and April 29th, 2001. During the June 3rd session, which
reportedly lasted around ten minutes, it was decided to postpone the
hearing until June 17th. The detainees are being tried under the tajreem al-
hizbiyyah (Incrimination of Party Activism) law, or law 71 of 1972(2),
under which political activists can be tried by the authorities for
opposition to the principles of the September 1st 1969 revolution, leading
to possible sentencing for treason, which carries the death penalty.

According to the information received, the 98 prisoners have been held
incommunicado since their arrest. Even though attorneys were appointed
by their relatives, these attorneys were neither allowed to review the
cases nor were they allowed to meet with their clients. They were not
allowed to attend the session on April 29th. Subsequently, decision was
taken by the judge to appoint lawyers (from the popular attorneys office)
for their defence.

The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the 98
prisoners’ physical and psychological integrity and fears that they may
be subjected to torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment during their detention.

Action requested:

i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the prisoners’
physical and psychological integrity;

ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal
charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial,
independent and competent tribunal and guarantee their
procedural rights at all times;

iii. ensure the right of those detained to be allowed to meet with
their lawyers;

iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the
circumstances of these arrests in order to identify those
responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or
administrative sanctions as provided by law;

v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental
freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national
laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses:

Colonel Mu'ammar al-Kaddafi, Leader of the Revolution, Office of the
Leader of the Revolution, Tripoli, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya. Fax : + 218 21 333 01 85

Imbarak Abdalla El Shamek, Prime Minister, Secretary of the General
People's Committee Tripoli, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya. Fax : + 218 54 60 017

Mohammed Mohammed Belgassem al-Zuia, Minister of Justice and
General Security, Office of the Minister of Justice and General Security,
Tripoli, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Fax : + 218 21 444 16 74

The General People's Congress (Human Rights section). Fax : + 218 21
361 39 07

Please also write to the Diplomatic Representatives of Libya in your
country.

Geneva, June 13th, 2001

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.

Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21
CH-1211 Geneve 8
Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : [email protected]
http://www.omct.org