[Mission Field News] Amnesty International urges Libyan government to overturn convictions of Christians

Amnesty International has called on the Libyan authorities to immediately overturn the convictions of 11 Christians who were unjustly imprisoned.

According to the UK’s Christian Today (CT), Amnesty International criticized the trial as a serious violation of international standards of justice and principles of religious freedom, demanding immediate corrective action.

The case involves a total of 11 people: nine Libyan men, one Libyan woman, and one Pakistani man. They were arrested in March 2023 by the Internal Security Agency (ISA), headquartered in Tripoli, and on April 15, 2025, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 to 15 years.

The main charges against them included:

• Insulting Islam

• Insulting religious practices through the internet

• Attempting to establish a prohibited organization

• Encouraging the alteration of constitutional principles

  
  

Initially, charges of “apostasy” were also included, but these were dropped from the indictment in January 2024, removing the possibility of the death penalty. The indictment explicitly stated that “promoting Christianity is not a crime under Libyan criminal law.”

Amnesty International denounced the trial as grossly unfair. The court failed to examine evidence or witnesses in favor of the defendants, nor did it cross-examine ISA agents. Most of the accused were interrogated without legal counsel, and even access to case files was denied.

In April 2023, the ISA published videos on its official YouTube channel showing confessions from seven of the defendants — a blatant violation of the presumption of innocence. Some of the defendants were tortured and forced to confess, while many were arbitrarily detained for long periods without legal consultation.

The wife of one imprisoned man testified: “I told the lawyer that my husband was tortured. When I heard his voice for the first time in five months, I couldn’t stop crying. Our daughter prays every day that when her father comes home, he will take her skating.”

Amnesty emphasized: “Promoting Christianity is not a crime under Libyan law. The defendants merely expressed their faith peacefully.” They urged the Libyan government to:

• Conduct an independent and transparent investigation into cases brought forward by the ISA

• Thoroughly investigate human rights violations such as torture, forced disappearances, and arbitrary detention

• Immediately overturn the convictions and sentences of those imprisoned solely for peacefully practicing their faith

  
  

Meanwhile, Libya has been mired in political chaos and division since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, and Christians continue to face severe persecution.

Source: Christian Today

“To you, Lord, I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 25:1)

Prayer

Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in the faith who are unjustly imprisoned in Libya, suffering persecution and torture.

Protect the souls of these Libyan Christians who look only to You in the midst of their suffering, and reveal to them the eternal glory You will give after all these trials.

Pour out upon them a faith that the world cannot overcome, that they may conquer the power of death and stand victorious with renewed strength!

Father, guide our imprisoned brothers and sisters to be released swiftly, so they may return to the arms of their waiting families. Strengthen the churches in Libya so that even under persecution, they will not fear suffering, but stand firm in faith.

Protect the persecuted churches and believers across Libya, and let Your presence dwell among them so that in every moment they may lift their eyes only to You, rely solely on You, and be victorious through faith.

May the courageous decisions and confessions of faith — even unto death — begin with the churches of Libya, and may this ignite a movement among the churches of the Maghreb and all nations, carrying the gospel forward with the Lord who has conquered death.