Libya is facing strong international criticism after its outgoing Government of National Unity announced plans to impose the hijab and establish a so-called “morality police.”
The announcement, led by Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi, has sparked widespread concern from rights groups, with Amnesty International calling for the immediate cancellation of the measures.
Amnesty International warned that the proposed directives, which include increased oversight of social behavior, restrictions on interactions between men and women, and limitations on women traveling without a male guardian’s permission, pose a severe threat to individual freedoms.
The organization urged the government to instead focus on addressing ongoing human rights abuses and promoting broader civil liberties.
“The proposed measures undermine women’s and girls’ rights and violate international norms guaranteeing freedom of religion and belief,” said Bassam Al-Kuntar, a Libya researcher with Amnesty International.
He added that these initiatives form part of a broader pattern of “morality-based” persecution that worsens discrimination and Libya’s human rights crisis.
Concerns about women’s rights were further heightened by reports that two women had been forcibly returned from Tunisia for traveling without a male guardian, as confirmed by the Ministry of Interior.
This incident exemplifies the strict enforcement approach Trabelsi’s measures aim to solidify, framed by the government as a means of ensuring “moral security.”
The proposed morality policing has drawn comparisons with similar restrictions elsewhere and has fueled fears of a rollback in gender rights and civil liberties.
Observers argue that such initiatives, if enacted, would deepen existing social divides and complicate Libya’s precarious journey towards stability and democratic governance.
Amnesty and other rights groups have made it clear that they will continue to advocate against policies that restrict fundamental freedoms, warning that Libya’s international reputation and internal cohesion are at stake.
The government’s next steps remain under close international scrutiny as the debate over these measures intensifies.
