Mass grave with at least 21 migrants found in eastern Libya

At least 21 bodies of migrants have been discovered in a mass grave in eastern Libya, according to two security sources who spoke to Reuters on January 15. 

The sources said up to 10 survivors from the same group showed signs of torture before being released from captivity, Caliber.Az reports. 

Security authorities raided a farm near the town of Ajdabiya after receiving reports that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were being held there, the sources said. The survivors included men, women and children.

“We found migrants – men, women and children – bearing signs of torture. They were taken to a hospital where they reported that other migrants had been with them and then disappeared,” one of the security sources told Reuters.

The mass grave was located about 10 kilometres southeast of Ajdabiya, a town approximately 160 kilometres from Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city. The owner of the farm was arrested and admitted that a mass grave was present on his property, the sources said.

Unverified images circulating online showed security personnel and volunteers from the Red Crescent placing bodies, allegedly recovered from the farm, into black plastic bags.

The circumstances surrounding the migrants’ deaths remain unclear, and investigations are ongoing, one of the security sources said.

Libya has become a key transit route for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, many of whom attempt perilous journeys across the desert and the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. Migration through Libya increased after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Despite its oil-based economy attracting migrants seeking work, Libya’s fragile security situation has left many vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and human trafficking.

By Sabina Mammadli