Intimidation and arrests of indigenous Berbers in Libya

More than a dozen activists among the indigenous Berbers have been sought out, interrogated and threatened by secret police in Libya since mid-December 2010. The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) in Göttingen reported on Thursday that two young human rights activists, engaged in writing a report on the situation of the Amazigh (Berbers) in Libya for the Moroccan "Royal Institute of the Amazigh Culture" (IRCAM), were apprehended by secret police in their apartment in Tripoli on 16 December 2010. The two brothers have been in prison since then, and are currently being held in El Jadida. They are accused of spying and of "cooperating with Israel."

"The allegations against Mazigh Fathi and Madghis Bouzekhar are absurd," stated the head of the Africa section at the STP, Ulrich Delius. "These twins, members of the Amazigh youth organization "Congrès de la Jeunesse Amazighe," simply wanted to document the plight of Libya's indigenous population, which is little known outside the country." In the Arab world, these accusations weigh heavily and are intended to ensure lasting defamation and isolation of the accused. Madghis was held in solitary confinement for one month and repeatedly tortured.

"This massive response to dedicated activists indicates that Libya's head of state Muammar al-Qaddafi obviously fears an uprising of the Amazigh," said Delius. Since early January 2011 Qaddafi has been following the public protests in neighboring countries with growing trepidation, and has been reshuffling positions within his own army in an attempt to forestall any efforts to topple his regime. According to reports from non-governmental organizations, clashes took place between security forces and demonstrators on Wednesday in the city of El Badia, during which four people were killed.

Qaddafi has difficulties with the recognition of the cultural and historical heritage of the Amazigh. He has repeatedly threatened that anyone describing themselves as non-Arab will be expelled from the country. "This eccentric ruler has shown himself to be extremely sensitive to any public interest in the plight of this minority," reported the human rights activist. On 8 November 2010, for example, the political affairs secretary at the US embassy in Tripoli, Luke Reynolds, was asked by Libya to leave the country after he visited the city of Yafran in southwestern Libya to gain information about the situation of the Amazigh.