The Abuslim Prison Massacre of 1200 Political
Prisoners
A small group of junior
officers in the Libyan army, led by Muammar Gaddafi, staged a military coup on
September 1, 1969, thus initiating a ruthless dictatorship in Libya. At the
early days of the military regime, Gaddafi moved cautiously to consolidate his
grip on power. Once he felt that his grip was secure, he unleashed a ruthless
campaign to rid the country of both real/perceived opponents. Many of Gaddafi’s
opponents were arrested, and thousands were imprisoned, many were hanged in
public places, and scenes of the hangings were shown on television. Many
Libyans, who had chosen to leave their country to save their lives from
Gaddafi’s murderous thugs, were trailed and over 40 of them were assassinated in
various European cities.
Within Libya, Gaddafi
implemented an internal policy founded on four basic elements: 1.
disenfranchisement, intended to curtail individual freedoms and to preoccupy
Libyans with basic survival; 2. erosion of education, in order to limit the
individual’s ability to make reasoned decisions; 3. moral degradation, designed
to make the public blind to government’s corruption and moral bankruptcy; 4.
spreading fear and terror, with the intent of curbing the population’s desire
for rebellion against the regime.
These policies have created
inhumane and unbearable conditions in Libya, compelling many Libyans to leave
the country in search of security and better life. As a result of random and
premeditated arrests, Gaddafi’s prisons were filled and other prisons were
created to meet the need of an ever increasing number of prisoners. Of all the
prisons in Libya, the Abuslim prison on the outskirts of Tripoli has become the
most notorious. Abuslim prison gained its notoriety following the massacre of
1200 political prisoners on June 28, 1996. Many of those prisoners were held
for several years prior to their executions. They were never charged with any
political or criminal activities.
Due to the unsanitary
conditions of the prison and lack of medical attention, many prisoners
contracted serious diseases and several died as a result. The prisoners
protested their living conditions; and asked for medical care, healthier prison
environments, and visits by friends and families. When their demands and
protests continued, the prison authorities agreed to talk to a delegation
representing the prisoners, and promised to address their concerns. The
prisoners felt assured that their conditions would be improved and returned to
their cells. Some of their very sick compatriots were taken to medical
facilities to receive medical attention.
On June 28, 1996, the
prisoners were encouraged and goaded to the prison compound for exercises, when
suddenly the prison guards opened fire from rooftops on the prisoners down
below. More guards joined the killing spree from rooftops, as others went
searching for prisoners who hid in their cells and shot them, execution style.
The news of the massacre was hidden; and when friends and relatives of prisoners
came to visit, the guards turned them away, telling them that their relatives
were well. The guards took clothing and food from the relatives after promising
to deliver them to their loved ones. However, those goods were later sold by
the guards who kept the proceeds to themselves. This scenario continued for
several years. Relatives of prisoners had become suspicious about the fate of
their loved ones, as rumors began to circulate that a massacre had taken place
at Abuslim Prison.
The rumors increased and
pressure for information about the prisoners intensified, Gaddafi vaguely
alluded to some insurrection by some prisoners, and an attempted escape from
prison that was early in 2004, but no definitive information was revealed.
However, an eyewitness to the massacre, namely Hussein El Shafei, was assisted
by the American Libyan Freedom Alliance (ALFA*) to leave Libya, and to and tell
the world of the details of the massacre at Abuslm Prison.
On the June 28, 2004, the 8th
anniversary of the massacre, a conference was held at Freedom House, Washington,
D.C., and Hussein El Shafei was introduced to the audience, including Human
Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and media organization. The event was
recorded and widely publicized, making it impossible for Gaddafi to continue to
hide the massacre. Despite knowledge of the massacre and subsequent admission
by Gaddafi, however, he still refuses to reveal where the remains of the victims
are. Over the past two years, the families of the victims have been pressing
for an open trial for all those involved in the massacre, but to no avail. In
the city of Benghazi, families of victims have been staging vigils every
Saturday for the past two years, despite intimidation and threats of violence.
Families are appealing to the international community and its human rights
organizations to assist them in their quest for justice.
* The American Libyan Freedom
Alliance (ALFA), an NGO, dedicated to promoting human rights and democracy in
Libya. ALFA was registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia in September, 2003.
