Libya - November 2024

On 6 November, Libya's Interior Minister, Imad Al-Trabelsi, announced the reinstatement of the ‘morality police’, officially known as the Public Morality Protection Unit, scheduled to begin operations in December. This unit will enforce ‘traditional’ social norms, particularly impacting women and girls, such as mandatory veiling for those over the age of nine, limitations on gender mixing in public spaces, and a requirement that women have a male guardian when they travel abroad. Rights groups warn the measures threaten women's rights, including their bodily autonomy, and may violate Article 7 of Libya's 2011 constitutional declaration, which guarantees personal freedoms. Observers also foresee expedite arrests of women. The ‘morality police’, previously dissolved in 2011, will be based in Tripoli under the Government of National Unity (GNU). This decision follows the creation of the ‘Guardians of Virtue’ program by the GNU in May 2023, an initiative aimed at upholding Islamic values.

Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, Middle East Eye, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists, Middle East Monitor, DW, Human Rights Watch

On 16 November, Libya completed the first phase of its municipal elections, which were held across 58 municipalities. This is the first time since 2014 that unified local elections were held simultaneously in the country’s eastern and western regions. The elections saw a high voter turnout of 77.2 per cent out of approximately 210,000 registered voters. While women’s voter registration was low, 73.4 per cent of those registered participated. In terms of candidacy, only 3 per cent of independent candidates and 30 per cent of list candidates were women. A 2021 quota system guarantees at least one seat for women in each municipal council. Although the elections were held in both eastern and western regions, territorial control over Libya remains fragmented. A second phase of municipal elections in 59 other municipalities is scheduled for January 2025. Municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward other electoral processes in the country, including long-delayed parliamentary and presidential elections.

Sources: HNEC, Libya Review, Al Wasat, Middle East Monitor, UNSMIL, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), UN Women