Another mass grave discovered in Libya

The authorities have found 21 bodies on a farm showing signs of torture

At least 21 migrant bodies have been discovered in a mass grave on a farm near Ajdabiya in eastern Libya, local media reported on Thursday. 

Security forces raided the property after receiving a report that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were being held there, the sources said. The mass grave was found about ten kilometers southeast of Ajdabiya, roughly 160km from Benghazi. 

The Internal Security Agency in eastern Libya reported told TV channel al-Masar that it had found “a mass grave containing the bodies of 21 people of various African nationalities.” 

One security source, whose name was not disclosed, told Reuters: “We found migrants – men, women and ‍children – bearing signs of torture. They were taken to a hospital where they reported that other migrants had been with them and then disappeared.” 

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Security officials arrested the farm owner, who admitted the presence of a mass grave on his property, the sources added. Reuters viewed photos that showed what appeared to be security personnel and Red Crescent volunteers placing bodies in black plastic bags at the site. 

How the migrants died is not yet clear, and an investigation is underway. 

The oil-rich country, a destination for migrants from neighboring African nations, has become a major transit hub for human trafficking and migration to Europe via the Mediterranean since the overthrow and killing of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. 

In February 2025, Libyan authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported two mass graves in southeastern Libya, where the bodies of dozens of migrants were found. Some of the bodies showed signs of gunshot wounds, according to the IOM.

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Later in June, the UN Human Rights Office reported that dozens of bodies had been discovered in detention centers in Tripoli and called for an independent investigation. The bodies were found at both official and unofficial sites run by the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA), an armed group tasked with supporting government security.