Several members of Tanweer Movement, a Tripoli-based civil society organization, have been charged with “promoting atheism” by Libya’s Public Prosecution, the Attorney-General announced on Friday.
The Office of Attorney-General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour said the charges follow a series of “confessions” made by the movement’s members, which the the Internal Security Agency (ISA) recorded and posted on social media.
“The process of questioning the defendants resulted in their acknowledgment of the fact that they are advocates of atheism who deny the existence of the Creator,” the Attorney-General’s Office said in a statement.
“They deliberately insulted the Islamic religion and mocked its legal rulings so they can spread their ideas,” the Attorney-General’s Office claimed. “The Public Prosecution concluded its investigation after the defendants repented of the act of apostasy”.
The Attorney-General’s Office pointed out that the ISA will continue to detain the movement’s members ahead of putting them on trail.
The United Nations and Amnesty International have condemned the the Libyan authorities’ crackdown on Tanweer Movement, saying that the “confessions” made by its members were obtained by “coercion”.
Both organizations have called on the Libyan authorities to stop targeting Libyans and uphold their right to freedom of expression. They also called on the authorities to investigate the alleged human rights violations committed by the ISA.
UN, Amnesty International condemn Libyan authorities’ crackdown on Tanweer Movement