UN raises alarm over mass graves and torture evidence in militia-controlled area of Tripoli

The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed grave concern on Wednesday,04 June over the discovery of dozens of bodies in a section of Libya’s capital,Tripoli,previously controlled by the Stabilization Support Authority (SSA),an armed militia whose commander,Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli,was killed in factional clashes last month.

The alarming findings include charred bodies unearthed from the SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim neighbourhood,as well as 67 corpses found stored in hospital refrigerators in Abu Salim and Al Khadra. Reports have also pointed to the existence of a burial site within the Tripoli Zoo,also reportedly under SSA control.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was “shocked” by the revelations,which point to systematic human rights abuses,including possible extrajudicial killings and torture. The victims’ identities remain unclear,but the presence of what appear to be instruments of torture at the sites has intensified concerns over the treatment of detainees held by the now-disbanded militia group. The SSA had previously operated detention facilities in the area and has long faced allegations of misconduct and brutality.

Türk has urged Libyan authorities to immediately seal off all affected areas to preserve forensic evidence and facilitate independent investigations. He called for full accountability for those responsible and demanded that UN investigators be granted unfettered access to the sites. “Our worst fears are being confirmed,” he warned,stressing the need for transparency and justice in the wake of these deeply disturbing discoveries.