Rights groups call for release of detained pro-Gaza activists in Libya
Global Sumud Convoy encampment near the city of Sirte in Libya, May 2026
Alex MacDonald reports in Middle East Eye on 10 June 2026:
Rights groups have called for the release of 10 foreign pro-Palestinian activists who have been held by forces loyal to Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya since 24 May.
The detainees – including activists from Spain, Poland, the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Tunisia and Italy – have been held by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) after being arrested as part of the Global Sumud Convoy.
The convoy aimed to travel across land to deliver aid and other services to the inhabitants of the besieged Gaza Strip. While other members of the 200-strong convoy were forcibly deported, 10 have been held by the LAAF, which is loyal to eastern commander Haftar.
From 1 June and at least until 4 June, the detainees went on hunger strike to protest their detention and denial of access to their lawyers and families.
According to Amnesty International, the activists are currently in pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of “assembly without authorisation” and if convicted, they face up to six months in prison and/or a fine.
Mahmoud Shalaby, regional researcher at Amnesty International, said it was “disgraceful” that campaigners for Gaza were being targeted on “bogus charges” in Libya. “No one should be punished for undertaking peaceful humanitarian action and trying to stop human rights abuses,” he said in a statement.