The Tripoli Bar Association announced yesterday that it will end its strike as of today.
It will be recalled that the Bar Association had announced on 19 July that it was suspending work as of 24 July. This came on the back of the assault on a lawyer, Abdullah Ali Farhat, on 18 July in the Tripoli Courts and Prosecutions Complex (Saidi Street, Ben Ghasheer) by members of the Special Deterrence Force (Rada/SDF).
On 23 July, UNSMIL made a statement on the assault saying it was ‘‘concerned by the ongoing harassment, restrictions, and violence targeting lawyers, including the brutal 18 July beating of lawyer, Abdullah Ali Farahat in the Tripoli Court by Deterrence Apparatus for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism’ (DACOT) guards.
In the past six months, three other lawyers have been assaulted, and arbitrarily arrested and detained.
Lawyers have an essential role in the pursuit of justice and under Libyan law must be protected from arrest, detention, and other legal procedures while performing their official duties.
UNSMIL calls for a full, independent investigation into all attacks against members of the legal profession carrying out their official duties and for all perpetrators of violence to be held accountable’’ the UNSMIL statement had concluded.
