Human Rights Watch said that Libya should prepare to limit the spread of Coronavirus in detention centers and overcrowded IDP shelters, noting that the Libyan healthcare system, along with other public services, has been affected by armed conflict and political divisions since 2011.
The organization noted that one of the measures the authorities should implement is to reduce the numbers of detained people by releasing unjustly or arbitrarily detained persons, who have been held for long periods without charges or trials, as well as migrants and asylum-seekers detained only because of their immigration status.
It added that they need to consider the release of children, minor and non-violent crimes, and persons who have served most of their sentences.
It called for alternatives to detention to be offered to vulnerable detainees, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, people with underlying conditions, and children and wives of ISIS-affiliated fighters, held in Misrata and Mitiga prisons and not charged with crimes.
