Libya : Footage shows new evidence of torture in Garnada prison
Distressing footage of Garnada prison in Libya has emerged showing brutal treatment of prisoners including beating with sticks, whips and hands, according to Agenzia Nova on January 13th.
Images show a man, almost naked being whipped in a corridor, while a second visibly elderly man is beaten with a stick until he falls on the floor.
A further leaked video shows a prisoner standing and begging for mercy amongst a group of cellmates crowded in a room with their hands attached above their head.
The maximum-security prison, located in the region controlled by General Khalifa Haftar, has already been pinned down by human rights agencies for its systematic torture of detainees, which includes beating, electric shocks and sleep deprivation – often resulting in death.
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It is also famous for the executions carried out and filmed under notorious war crime perpetrator and regime’s officer Mahmoud Waterfalli, a feat that landed him charges for crimes against humanity, before he was killed in 2021 under mysterious circumstances.
Many of the inmates are suspected of being radical Islamists fighters that were captured by Haftar LNA’s forces between 2014 and 2019 and have awaited trial in nightmarish conditions since.
Amnesty says a culture of impunity is worsened by the fact that LNA commanders, who are typically accused of criminal activity under international law, maintain their positions of power within the regime.
As a result, crackdown on opponents and critics is intensifying at the hands of the LNA.
As of today, dozens of arbitrary arrests including women and older men have been reported.
Agenzia Nova
