Libya
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Premeditated murder, treason and offenses against the...
- News items in the archive
- 226
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Libya is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 226 news items on Libya, from 1999 to today.
In Libya the death penalty applies to a wide list of offences and is administered within a fragmented institutional framework, with authorities and courts that do not recognise one another. The documented executions include both judicial sentences and killings carried out by armed groups.
The archive gathers what can be verified, and always names the source.
Latest news
JANUARY 18, 2007LibyaDEATH PENALTYLIBYA. EU TO REVIEW RELATIONS WITH TRIPOLI OVER MEDICS CASE
The European Union parliament called on member states to reconsider their relations with Libya unless it releases six foreign medics
- JANUARY 1, 2007LibyaDEATH PENALTY
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
DECEMBER 19, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTYEU DENOUNCED DEATH SENTENCES AGAINST BULGARIAN MEDICS
the President of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso sharply condemned the death sentences against the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestine doctor confirmed today in Libya.
DECEMBER 19, 2006ItalyDEATH PENALTYHOC. NO TO RANSOM FOR MEDICS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN LIBYA
Secretary of Hands Off Cain Sergio D’Elia and Elisabetta Zamparutti, treasurer, made the following declaration in relation to the case of the five Bulgarian medics and the Palestinian doctor sentenced to death in Libya:
- DECEMBER 19, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. FOREIGN MEDICS SENTENCED TO DIE IN HIV CASE
a Libyan court sentenced five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for deliberately infecting hundreds of children with the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
- DECEMBER 6, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
IRAQI COURT SENTENCES LIBYAN TO DEATH FOR TERRORISM
an Iraqi court sentenced a Libyan member of al-Qaida in Iraq to death after he admitted taking part in eight attacks on US-led coalition forces and Iraqi targets...
DECEMBER 6, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTYLIBYA. NEW EVIDENCE MAY EXONERATE BULGARIA’S NURSES
Nature Magazine has published a report claiming that there is new evidence to the innocence of the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor accused of causing a HIV pandemic in a Benghazi hospital.
- AUGUST 28, 2006BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. DEATH PENALTY SOUGHT IN HIV CASE
Libyan prosecutor Omar Abdulkhaleq demanded the death penalty for five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor on trial for the second time on charges that they infected hundreds of children with the HIV virus.
- JULY 17, 2006BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. QADDAFI COULD GRANT BULGARIAN NURSES AMNESTY
Libyan court will confirm the death sentences of Bulgaria's five nurses, a newspaper has said citing anonymous sources.
- MAY 3, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. POLITICAL PRISONER MAY FACE DEATH PENALTY
Libya's most prominent political prisoner, Fathi al-Jahmi, faces a possible death sentence for slandering Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi and talking with a foreign official, Human Rights Watch said.
- MARCH 11, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
JORDAN. TWO ISLAMIC MILITANTS EXECUTED FOR MURDER OF U.S. DIPLOMAT
Jordan executed two Islamist militants convicted of killing a US diplomat in Amman in 2002 in a rare move to implement a death sentence against security detainees.
- JANUARY 25, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. HRW URGES LIBYA TO IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD
Human Rights Watch released a rare report on the situation in Libya, acknowledging that some steps had been taken towards improving freedoms but saying there was little political will to reform.
- JANUARY 21, 2006BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. BULGARIA AGREES 4.4 BLN EURO FUND IN HIV CASE
Bulgaria agreed with Libya to set up a 4.4 billion euro ($5.3 billion) fund for families of children infected with HIV in Libya, a Libyan official said. The deal was likely to defuse a standoff over five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who convi
- JANUARY 12, 2006BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
BULGARIA. BULGARIA WILL NOT PAY COMPENSATION FOR NURSES' FREEDOM, FOREIGN MINISTER
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said that his country would not directly donate money to the international fund for supporting Libya's fight against AIDS.
- JANUARY 11, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. IF COURT RULES DEATH, MEDICS TO BE EXECUTED, QADDAFI
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi stated that if a Libyan sentenced to death five Bulgarian medics in a retrial they would be executed.
- JANUARY 5, 2006BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. 'DON'T FORGET US' BEGS JAILED BULGARIAN NURSE IN LIBYA
"Don't forget us," Bulgarian nurse Kristiana Vulcheva who was behind bars accused of infecting Libyan children with the AIDS virus begged during a prison visit by the French foreign minister.
- JANUARY 1, 2006LibyaDEATH PENALTY
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
- DECEMBER 28, 2005BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. PARENTS OF AIDS-INFECTED CHILDREN DEMAND 10 MILLION DOLLARS
the families of hundreds of Libyan children infected with the AIDS virus were demanding 10 million dollars for each child in compensation, Bulgarian television reported.
- DECEMBER 25, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
EUROPEAN UNION. EU SAYS LIBYA COURT'S HIV RULING IS GOOD NEWS
the European Union welcomed the Libyan Supreme Court's order to retry five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly infecting Libyan children with the HIV virus.
- DECEMBER 25, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. SUPREME COURT SCRAPS NURSES' HIV DEATH SENTENCES
Libya's Supreme Court scrapped death sentences against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor and ordered a retrial of the cases which have harmed Tripoli's efforts to build ties with the West.
- DECEMBER 5, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
ITALY. SENATOR APPEALS TO GOVERNMENT TO URGENTLY UNDERTAKE ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF BULGARIANS ON DEATH ROW IN LIBYA
Tana de Zulueta, a senator for the Green Party group in Italy's senate, sent a parliamentary request to the Italian Government for urgent actions to help the Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya. De Zulueta officially asked the Government what mea
- NOVEMBER 29, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
Libya could quash death sentences
Libya could quash death sentences
- NOVEMBER 24, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
in an interview for Al Jazeera
in an interview for Al Jazeera
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
Tripoli had proposed exchanging Bulgarian nurses
Tripoli had proposed exchanging Bulgarian nurses
- NOVEMBER 11, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. LIBYA SAYS BULGARIAN NURSES ROW IS NOT POLITICAL
Libya said the row over the Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for infecting children with the HIV virus was an issue that must be settled legally rather than politically.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2005BulgariaDEATH PENALTY
the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
- NOVEMBER 2, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. LIBYA DENIES LEGAL DEAL OVER BULGARIAN NURSES
He was reacting to a report by the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat which quoted Arab diplomatic sources as saying Tripoli was likely to annul capital punishment soon as part of a deal to allow the nurses to be released.
- OCTOBER 24, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
A large number of offences, including political offences and economic “crimes” are punishable by death.
- OCTOBER 18, 2005United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
UNITED KINGDOM. UK STRIKES DEAL TO EXPEL LIBYAN TERRORISM SUSPECTS
Britain signed a preliminary agreement with Libya that would allow it to deport Libyan nationals who were suspected of links to terrorism. The move was one of a number of measures to crack down on individuals who encouraged or condoned acts of violence or
- OCTOBER 18, 2005LibyaDEATH PENALTY
LIBYA. LIBYANS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST BUSH'S CALL TO FREE NURSES
several hundred Libyans demonstrated in Tripoli to protest President George W. Bush's call for the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly infecting 400 children with the AIDS virus.