Mass protests as Libyan Political Activist dies inside the Public Prosecution Building in Tripoli

Death in Custody, Outcry Erupts After Abdel Moneim Al-Mariami Falls Inside the Public Prosecution Building in Tripoli.

The death of political activist Abdel Moneim Al-Marimi inside a prosecution building in Tripoli has sparked widespread anger across Libya.

The incident is fueling protests and renewed debate over government repression, militia violence, and the misuse of state institutions.

Al-Marimi, known for his strong opposition to the Western-based Government of National Unity (GNU), had been one of the most outspoken critics of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, demanding his resignation and calling for an end to corruption and political abuse.

In an increasingly dangerous environment for dissent, these calls reportedly made him a target.

Al-Marimi was reportedly abducted by Libya’s Internal Security Agency, a ruthless security department operating ​for the Western region​ government.

He was picked in the town of Sorman, near Tripoli, on June 30, 2025.

According to his family, there was no legal warrant, and they lost all contact with him after his transfer to the capital.

Authorities later confirmed he was handed over to the Attorney General’s office on July 3, and was due to be released.

But on July 5, he was pronounced dead, with officials claiming he had “fallen from a stairwell” in what they described as a suicide.

However, human rights organizations and those close to Al-Marimi strongly dispute the official version. According to multiple reports, he was beaten, mentally abused, and denied access to legal counsel during detention.

Others believe he was driven to suicide by the physical and emotional suffering he endured, with some describing it as a “state-sanctioned execution” designed to silence opposition.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his detention and death.

Both local and international rights groups are demanding accountability, accusing GNU security bodies of involvement in torture, illegal arrests, and enforced disappearances.

Al-Marimi’s family has postponed his burial, requesting a full forensic investigation and legal action, believing he died from torture, not an accident.

The deceased issue has now become a symbol of growing repression in western Libya.

Protests have erupted in Tripoli and nearby towns, with demonstrators carrying his photo and chanting against the government.

Many Libyans believe this incident is not isolated, but part of a wider pattern of political intimidation carried out by armed groups claiming to represent the state.

What began as a protest arrest has turned into a national scandal, one that could either be buried or trigger long-overdue accountability for Libya’s hidden power networks.

Al-Marimi was a close blood relative of Abu Ajaila Masud Al-Marimi, the former intelligence officer accused of helping carry out the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

In 2022, under Dbeibeh’s rule Abu Ajaila was secretly handed over to the United States, a move that provoked strong criticism inside Libya.

Abdel Moneim had been among the loudest voices opposing that extradition, denouncing what he saw as foreign power’s double standards and the increasing influence of militias working with foreign powers in Western region of Libya.

While the US government labeled Abu Ajaila’s handover a pursuit of justice, many nationalists, former regime supporters, and human rights activists called it a betrayal of Libya’s sovereignty.

They argued that the Lockerbie case had already been settled, with Libya already paid nearly USD 3 billion in compensation and previous suspects already tried and convicted. In their view, the continued targeting of Abu Ajaila was not about justice, but politics, and Libya’s national dignity was being sacrificed in the process.