In a landmark ruling in Libya, a Tripoli court sentenced three individuals to lengthy prison terms for human trafficking, representing the first such judgment in a North African nation known for widespread migrant mistreatment.
According to an announcement made Friday by the office of Libya’s chief prosecutor, the three were found guilty of human trafficking, migrant detention and torture, and extortion of victims’ families for ransom.
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The statement revealed that one convict received a life sentence, while the remaining two were each sentenced to 20 years. Details concerning their identities and nationalities remain undisclosed.
Libya descended into chaos following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed autocrat Moammar Gadhafi. Since then, Libya has become a primary transit hub for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.
Human traffickers have exploited this instability, smuggling migrants across Libya’s extensive border with six nations, often launching them on perilous sea voyages via the Central Mediterranean route.
The United Nations and human rights groups have long condemned the atrocious conditions faced by trafficked and smuggled migrants across the Mediterranean, with some human rights experts asserting evidence of crimes against humanity committed against Libyans and migrants in Libya, including instances of forced sexual slavery.