26th and 27th of January 2024 in Bologna
Refugees in Libya together with its supporting alliance invites to a two days event with press conference, practical workshops and political debates.
More than two years ago, on 1st of October 2021, a huge sit-in protest started in Tripoli in front of the UNHCR building. In this struggle the self-organized movement of Refugees in Libya (RiL) was born with the main demands for refugees’ rights and evacuation to safe countries. For this reason, hundreds of refugee activists were arbitrarily detained in the Ain Zara detention center as a punishment for their defense of human rights. After 18 months of torture and forced work, 221 activists were released from prison and now they are in Tripoli facing destitution, lack of medical care and the constant risk of arbitrary detention and physical violence. The Alliance with Refugees in Libya (ARiL) was created in order to amplify their voices. Together, we are launching a campaign to recognize their role as human rights defenders and to demand their immediate evacuation to safe countries to ensure their physical and psychological wellbeing. The campaign will rely on a trans-local network of European cities, key allies supporting the work of human rights defenders.
We will start on Friday 26 January 2024 with a Press Conference, 10.30-11.30 AM (CET) at the Bologna municipality, afterwards a manifold program is in preparation with workshops and political debates, with an exhibition and films. The list of speakers and participants will include – beside the crucial voices of testimonies of Refugees in Libya – institutional actors from the municipality, the catholic church and the university, but also lawyers and investigative journalists as well as members of social movement networks from welcoming cities in Europe and from sea rescue organizations. The detailed program will be published in the beginning of January 2024.
Contact: refugeesinlibya@gmail.com
Website: https://www.refugeesinlibya.org/
