03 August 2020
Three people who were pulled back to Libya after trying to flee the country have been shot and killed and two others have been injured. According to MSF, they were part of a group of 73 people whose attempt at escaping Libya by sea was thwarted by the Libyan Coast Guard. All those killed or injured are between the ages of 15 and 18.
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Libya: “They were shot and killed as they fled arbitrary detention” (MSF, link):
"Three people were shot dead and two were severely injured at the disembarkation site in Khoms on Tuesday night, 28 July, after being returned to Libya, the country they were trying to flee. The victims are aged between 15 and 18. This is yet another tragic development showing that migrants in Libya face life-threatening violence and brutality. Vulnerable people should benefit from protection and evacuation out of the country, instead of suffering forced returns and arbitrary detention.
First-hand testimonies gathered by MSF indicate that the three victims and the two injured were part of a group of 73 people intercepted at sea by Libyan coast guards and brought back to Khoms. Among them some dozens of people, all Sudanese nationals, tried to flee the disembarkation site, to avoid being brought into detention, and were shot at.
While some managed to escape, 26 people were finally taken to a detention centre. MSF teams, who provide assistance to vulnerable migrants in detention centres, visited them, and found many who were still in shock and were distressed.
The group was composed of very young people; the three people who were killed and the two injured are all aged between 15 and 18. There are at least eight minors among the 26 people taken to the detention centre."
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