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Hanan al-Barassi was shot dead by gunmen in the eastern city of Benghazi on November 10, 2020.
Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord has condemned the murder of prominent Libyan lawyer and women’s rights activist Hanan al-Barassi, who was shot dead by gunmen on Tuesday in the eastern city of Benghazi.
His assassination in Benghazi, which is under the control of the Libyan National Army (LNA), came just a day after he shared comments on social media criticizing the son of the renegade military general and LNA leader Khalifa Haftar.
“The murder of human rights defenders and those who speak out and the silencing of voices is a heinous crime and a shameful form of tyranny and a desperate attempt to destroy the hope of establishing a civil and democratic state,” said the minister. Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha tweeted on Tuesday.
According to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), al-Barassi, whom the mission describes as a “vocal critic of corruption, abuse of power and human rights violations”, was shot “in full blast daylight “by unidentified gunmen.
“His tragic death illustrates the threats Libyan women face when they dare to speak out,” UNSMIL added.
In videos posted publicly on his Facebook page, al-Barassi criticized figures loyal to the LNA. In a shared live broadcast on Monday, just a day before her assassination, al-Barassi said the threats would not silence her.
“I will not give up, only with the bullets will I ever give up; If I die, so be it. Only in death will I be silenced. Tomorrow I will have several surprises [to share], various surprises, “he told viewers.
The LNA has not yet responded to a CNN request for comment on al-Barassi’s death.
The US embassy in Libya called on local authorities to carry out an urgent investigation into al-Barassi’s murder, adding that “silencing the voices of peaceful activists should not be tolerated.”
“This blatant assassination underscores the importance of establishing a government that is accountable to the Libyan people rather than allowing corruption and brute force to dictate the future of Libya,” the statement from the US embassy said.
Elham Saudi, director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya, an organization that seeks to defend and promote human rights in the conflict-ravaged country, called the attack a “terrible and painful reminder of the reality on the ground” for women. in Libya.
“Without accountability, offenders will continue to commit literal murder in broad daylight,” he added.
Al-Barassi’s assassination follows a series of attacks against critics of forces aligned with the LNA.
In 2019, one of Libya’s leading female politicians and a vocal critic of Haftar, Seham Sergewa, was abducted from her home in Benghazi by a militia group loyal to the LNA; Although an investigation into her abduction was launched, she has not yet been found.
