Videos Appear to Show State-Linked Libyan Armed Group Involved in Migrant Smuggling in Mediterranean Waters

Video evidence featured in Italian media outlets reportedly shows for the initial instance a armed faction affiliated with the Libyan government participating in migrant trafficking across the Mediterranean Sea.

Footage Collected by Journalist and Aid Group

Recorded materials and images, provided with news outlets, were captured by a correspondent of an news source who had joined humanitarian workers aboard a aid ship managed by the non-profit Mediterranea.

As shown in one sequence, asylum seekers of Kurdish origin who reportedly stated they had been removed from a detention center by the paramilitary force are shown in the water near the humanitarian ship after observers stated they had been pushed into the sea.

Legal Submission

The images along with a detailed account of the occurrence have been submitted by the non-profit to investigators in Trapani, Sicily and to the ICC.

“This time there is video and photographic evidence that cannot be covered up: the human traffickers who brutally dumped several migrants into the sea… are linked to state-backed armed units,” Mediterranea announced.

Group Recognition

The first set of clips and images, dated 18 August, depict individuals on Libyan patrol boats wearing face coverings and military attire showing the insignia of the Special Operations Unit of the 111th Brigade – a faction under the command of the government figure, Abdul Salam Al-Zoubi.

Nighttime Event

A second set of videos, captured during nighttime two days later, displays Kurdish migrants in the water after observers reported they had been kicked into the sea. When the boat they were pushed from turns away, it is illuminated by the rescuers’ flashlights and shown to have the same unusual design between its dark hull and white bottom as the vessel recorded on 18 August.

Testimonies from Survivors

The migrants picked up by the rescue ship informed the staff that only hours before they had been detained in a holding facility. Those rescued alleged that four others who refused to follow the militiamen were executed, according to the rescue group.

Background

Libya has been a key passage in the past decade for asylum seekers escaping violence and destitution in Africa and the Middle East. Latest figures indicate around 867,055 people of multiple origins were located in Libya, according to data from the International Organization for Migration.

Reports of Abuse

Based on reports from numerous aid agencies – including UN documentation – pro-government forces in Libya have been connected to human rights violations against migrants for years, including running or collaborating with prisons where people are forced to pay, abused and sexually enslaved, kidnapping people for ransom, colluding with units of the Libyan coastguard, and human trafficking.

Deals and Cooperation

Armed groups in Libya have been operating at sea since the Libyan authorities struck a deal with Italy in February 2017 that authorized it to forcibly return migrants caught in the waters back to Libya.

The arrangement, which entailed Italy supplying money and gear, was negotiated by Marco Minniti, the past official from the Democratic Party, in an attempt to limit arrivals.

Ongoing Dialogue

In early September, the deputy defence minister held talks with Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi, who in an official statement highlighted Italy’s “productive partnership” with the Libyan government.

Accusations

An activist, stated that the footage, images and accounts of the rescued people “shows that the primary recipients of money from Europe are illegal operators”.

Requests for comment directed at the Italian interior ministry and Libyan officials have not yet received a statement.