Amnesty International on Thursday urged the EU to reconsider cooperation with Libya over “horrific abuses” of refugees and migrants in the North African country.

According to the Libyan Crime Monitoring Organisation, 30 activists have been arrested in the city of Al-Marj since 12 September, following a wave of protests that have swept the area.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his call for Libya’s authorities to close migrant detention centers across the country, describing a raft of human rights abuses inside the facilities.

The Libyan Human Rights Solidarity organization has called on the Government of National Accord (GNA) to explain its stance on the horrendous abuses and violations at the Tripoli-based Mitiga prison.

The Supreme Judicial Council on Sunday, issued a decision to suspend the remaining lawful punishment for a number of 582 prison inmates, in implementation of the minutes of the Fifth Council meeting for the year 2020.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said 72 illegal immigrants have been rescued by the Libyan coast guard off the country’s western coast. It voiced concern over the deteriorating condition of thousands of illegal migrants in Libya.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had received written assurances from Libya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the release of Russian citizens detained in Tripoli.

Twenty-four years ago, a special forces unit raided the Abou Selim prison in the suburbs of the Libyan capital Tripoli, shooting dead 1,269 opponents of Moammar al-Gaddafi’s regime.

Libya Febrayer TV yesterday aired a video showing detention facilities, which it described as “human ovens”, where oppositionists were tortured by renegade General Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

Malta has signed an agreement with Libya to set up coordination centres in Tripoli and Valletta to help support efforts to combat “illegal immigration“.