Outrage in Libya over a video of a woman being publicly flogged for adultery

The sentence is about to be carried out. A woman is waiting, kneeling in the street. To her right, a member of the judicial police is holding the whip that will be used to carry out the punishment, whilst another man reads out the verdict:

“Today, in the city of Sabha, the sentence of 100 lashes is being executed in connection with a case of adultery, in accordance with the court's judgement. The individuals concerned are currently in the public square for the sentence to be carried out.”

The video, filmed in Sabha in the Libyan Desert, has been widely shared on social media and has sparked much online debate. Some have highlighted the illegality of carrying out the punishment in a public space and questioned the absence of the opposing party, whilst others have criticised this law, which they consider archaic.

'We only saw these things happening when ISIS was in control of certain parts of Libya.'

Noura Eljerbi, who currently resides in Turkey, is a Libyan journalist and advocate for human and women's rights in Libya.

"It was a big shock [seeing this video] because we only saw these things happening when ISIS was in control of certain parts of Libya. And it scares me to see that this kind of thing is systematic and part of the current system.

And to not see the man beside the woman … But I mean, if it's adultery, she's not doing it by herself. This gives us a better understanding of the current state of the justice system. […] It's not real justice. 

I think we need to think twice before simply debating whether this should have been filmed or not. No, the case is bigger than this. It's about why are there laws that support that kind of humiliation and that are against human rights ?"

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been governed by two entities.

In Tripoli, the Government of National Unity (GNU), recognised by the United Nations, controls part of western Libya. In Benghazi, the Government of National Stability (GNS), supported by the Libyan National Army (LNA), controls the east and south of the country.

Sabha, a city situated in the Saharan oasis more than 600 kilometres south of Tripoli, is governed by the GSN and is the key city of the Fezzan region. In its 2025 report, the World Organisation Against Torture had warned of the use of torture as a means of discipline in its police stations. The Government of National Unity, recognised by the United Nations, is aligned with Tripoli. The forces of the Libyan National army, led by General Haftar, are aligned with Benghazi.

What does the Libyan law say?

The sentence carried out is governed by Law No.70 of 1973, which criminalises "zina", defined as sexual relations between a man and a woman outside of marriage. The punishment for both men and women is of 100 lashes – a judge may impose a prison sentence of up to five years in addition to this. The sentence must be carried out at a police station, in the presence of a public prosecutor and a qualified doctor.

Marwa Salem is a Libyan human rights activist and journalist for the media outlet Noon. 

"In practice such cases rarely result in the enforcement of flogging, as the legal threshold for proving the offence is exceptionally high. 

Nevertheless, allegations of adultery may be used to intimidate women, threaten them, and damage their reputations in an effort to pressure them into relinquishing their legal rights in cases involving marriage, custody and divorce.

(...)
Similar allegations [Editor's note: of zina]  are also frequently raised against women who have been killed. In some cases, the alleged perpetrators claim that the victim was caught committing adultery or engaging in an illicit sexual relationship. Since the victim is no longer able to challenge these accusations, such claims may be invoked to seek the benefit of Article 375 of the Libyan Penal Code, which provides for a reduced sentence in certain so-called 'honour' killings."

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Multiple public floggings have taken place in the past

Marwa Salem points out that this is not the first time a public flogging has taken place in Sabha:

"Following the publication of the incident, Libyan journalists informed us that a photojournalist accompanying the authorities had previously filmed and documented an earlier public flogging of a man on the same street. According to these journalists, the footage was later deleted.

We have also received testimonies from multiple witnesses in Sabha, whose identities have been withheld for their protection, alleging that public floggings on the same street have occurred repeatedly by the same authority 

In addition, a parent from a primary school reported to Noon another incident in which, while collecting his daughter from school, he and his child witnessed the public flogging of five men in March of this year, during the school term. According to his account, other schoolchildren also witnessed the incident, exposing them to an extremely violent scene."

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Women's rights threatened

Women's rights in Libya have been increasingly restricted in the past few years. In June 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls had already expressed her concern at the alarming levels of violence against women in Libya.

Since 2023, women willing to travel alone abroad are mandated to fill out a form explaining why they are not accompanied by a male guardian. On November 6, 2024, the interior minister in Tripoli (GNU), Emad Trabelsi, had announced his intention to enforce compulsory veiling for women and girls from the age of 9 in public places, to ban women from travelling without a male guardian, as well as mixed-gender gatherings in public spaces. Following a wave of national and international outrage, these laws never came into force, but they are regularly enforced unofficially.

Marwa Salem has received numerous accounts from women having experienced discrimination:

"The humiliation and degrading treatment of Libyan women continues through a variety of measures.

For example, we have received numerous complaints from Libyan women who were denied accommodation in hotels across different cities solely because they were 'unaccompanied' female Libyan nationals. 

We have further received complaints alleging the arbitrary use of authority by passport officials against a number of Libyan women, who reported being threatened or prevented from completing official administrative procedures on the pretext that they were not wearing the hijab. However, according to the women concerned, the actual reason was that they had refused sexual harassment by those officials, noting that several women present at the time who were wearing the hijab were subjected to the same treatment."

Following the release of the video, the Benghazi Judicial Police Office (GNS) announced that it was launching an investigation and temporarily suspending the officials involved in carrying out the sentence, recording it and releasing the footage. It emphasised that sentences must be carried out in accordance with the regulations governing them.

Despite the obstacles, Marwa Salem remains hopeful:

"There is still hope in Libya's judiciary, and perhaps it is the country's last remaining source of hope.

Nevertheless, genuine accountability in this case would play an important role in restoring public confidence in Libya's judicial system."

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