The problems of armed militias in Libya continue. A circulated video on social media, which documented a family in their car being shot at and verbally assaulted by a militia member dressed in police uniform, has stirred public opinion in Libya. The armed man appeared in the footage on a busy street, standing in front of the car to obstruct its path, holding a weapon, before firing shots into the air to force the family to exit the vehicle, without revealing the reason for the dispute, though it is presumed to be due to a traffic violation by the driver.
Activists stated that the incident occurred in Tajoura, south of the capital Tripoli, and the family consisted of a husband, wife, and their children, with the video capturing the screams and cries of young children following the gunfire.
Widespread Anger
The incident raised widespread anger among the Libyan public, with many expressing their outrage through social media posts, deeming the event as a clear reflection of the situation in Tripoli, which is under the control of militias and armed dominance. They called on the relevant authorities to conduct an investigation.
In response, Ahmad Hamza, the rapporteur of the National Human Rights Institution, urged the Ministry of Interior in a Facebook post to investigate the incident and ensure the arrest of the lawless individuals shown in the video and to present them to the public prosecutor. He questioned, "What is this nonsense, degradation, and repeated assaults and insults towards citizens at the security checkpoints belonging to the Ministry of Interior and other security agencies?"
Blogger Ahmad Al-Foughi confirmed that the armed man in the footage, who was pointing his weapon at civilians, is "guilty for violating the texts and articles in Police Law No. 6 concerning cases of weapon use," insisting on the need for accountability. He added in a post, "In any case, even if the citizen violated the law, they should be dealt with without weapons and the traffic law should be applied to them, either by stopping them or referring them to the nearest traffic point."
Meanwhile, another blogger named Ali Mohammed criticized the phenomenon of militia dominance over the general scene, stating in a post, "It is unjust to allow armed militias to govern a state of reckless militias that understand only the logic of weapons." It is noteworthy that most of these groups and security and military formations operate independently and do not comply with the orders of the interior and defense ministries. Militias are prevalent in most areas of the capital, operating fixed centers and regularly patrolling with their elements.
