UN: Up to 7,000 prisoners held in Libyan jails

The United Nations said that up to 7,000 prisoners are held in dozens of makeshift detention centers in Libya more than two months after rebel forces toppled Muammar Gaddafi, amid serious allegations and some evidence of torture. Transitional authorities lack a clear system for screening and registering detainees, thus opening the door to ill-treatment, Mona Rishmawi, a senior official of the UN human rights office, told a briefing after a weeklong visit to Libya. Prisoners include people arrested at checkpoints without identity papers, suspected mercenaries from several regions, pro-Gaddafi fighters captured on the battlefield or people whose names appeared on lists of people to be rounded up, she said. "There are thousands of people who are being held, we are talking about a large number. It could be up to 7,000," said Rishmawi, who is in charge of the office''s rule of law branch. "The majority of these people have not gone through a (judicial) process. This of course is a recipe for abuse. There are indications of very serious issues going on." In all, there are believed to be 67 makeshift detention centers across Libya, compared with a few central prisons during the 42-year-rule of Gaddafi, she added. (QNA) M A