The Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights demands the release of two Tunisians held in Libya

On 2 November 2026, the head of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights, Mustafa Abdul al-Khabar, demanded that Libyan authorities in the Zaltun region intervene promptly and immediately to release two Tunisian citizens who continue to be detained by militants within Libyan territory.

The incident began on October 31, 2026 when an armed group at a security checkpoint in the western Libyan city of Zalton filed for detention of a group of drivers and passengers of Tunisian and Libyan dual nationality, with their travel documents and vehicles confiscated. Local communications and interventions on 1 November 2026 resulted in the evacuation of most detainees, while militants continued to detain Tunisian youths to demand the release of a Libyan citizen detained by judicial and security authorities in Tunisia.

Mustafa Abd al-Khabar stressed the need for action by parties and actors in the region to end the crisis without delay. The detention of civilians and their use as hostages to bargain with detainees is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and international criminal charters for arbitrary detention, as well as being in conflict with bilateral organized conventions for the movement of people between the two countries across the Ras Ghed border crossing. The incident follows on from previous incidents that targeted Tunisian citizens in western Libya for pressure on security and judicial matters, including the detention of 12 Tunisians in the Libyan corner during June 2024, before the crisis ended and they were later released through official and approved mediations led by local parties.