صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Libya –The implementation of a public flogging sentence against a woman in the city of Sebha, southern Libya, sparked a wide wave of human and legal controversy, after a video clip was circulated documenting the execution of the punishment in a public street, in the presence of a number of passers-by, in an incident that human rights activists considered a precedent that raises questions about the extent of respect for legal procedures during the implementation of sentences.
The circulating video shows a woman on her knees, while a member of the judicial police carried out a flogging sentence, after reading a decision issued by the South Sabha Criminal Court on July 21, 2026, punishing her with 100 lashes in a case related to the charge of adultery.
#Sabha| The judicial police implements a judicial ruling against a woman in a criminal case, in a procedure that was carried out publicly in the city of Sabha.pic.twitter.com/rItwXbPZYN
– Militia crimes (@NEFWEW7vyIiR9IA)July 23, 2026
The implementation of the sentence in a public place sparked mixed reactions, as some considered it an implementation of the provisions of the law, while others saw it as inconsistent with legal procedures, wondering why this type of sentence was implemented publicly, while other penalties stipulated by the law, such as the punishment for theft, are not implemented publicly, despite the spread of corruption and embezzlement cases.
In this context, Libyan human rights activist Tariq Lamloum asked about the legal basis on which the court relied, how to prove the charge, and whether all judicial guarantees were respected, in addition to the fate of the other party in the case, considering that what happened raises question marks about the principle of equality before justice.
For his part, the head of the National Institution for Human Rights in Libya, Ahmed Abdel Hakim Hamza, explained that the Law Establishing the Punishment for Adultery No. 70 of 1973 does not stipulate that the punishment be carried out in public or published in the media, indicating that the law specifies the implementation of flogging inside the police station, in the presence of the prosecutor and a specialist doctor, and after the ruling becomes final.
The National Institution for Human Rights also considered that the incident represented a “dangerous precedent,” calling for respecting legal guarantees and not turning the implementation of sentences into public scenes that might affect people’s dignity or spark societal controversy.
The incident brought back to the forefront the discussion about justice and law enforcement in Libya, especially in light of repeated criticism regarding the spread of corruption and financial crimes, in contrast to the absence of similar scenes of the implementation of sentences against those involved in cases of embezzlement of public funds or theft.
This incident comes at a time when Libya is still experiencing a political and institutional division between two competing governments, amid continuing controversy over the performance of judicial and security institutions and mechanisms for implementing judgments.
Source:“My press”
