On August 23, 2011, as part of the

Libyan Crisis (2011–present) Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, Ethnic group, ethnicity, and Religion in Libya, religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. All figures are from the Uni ...

, members of the

Khamis Brigade The Khamis Brigade (), formally the 32nd Reinforced Brigade of the Armed People (), was a regime security brigade of the Libyan Armed Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya from 1969 until 201 ...

(a military force loyal to

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...

) carried out summary executions of hostages in a warehouse near

Tripoli, Libya Tripoli, historically known as Tripoli-of-the-West, is the capital city, capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.317 million people in 2021. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point ...

, which was then set on fire. In total, 124 people were killed at the site.

Background information

During the final stages of the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. All figures are from the United Nations Demographic Yearbooks ...

, which erupted in February 2011, forces loyal to

engaged in brutal crackdowns against rebel groups seeking to overthrow his regime. The

, led by Gaddafis son Khamis, was known for its involvement in violent suppression tactics.

The massacre

On August 23, 2011, detainees were held in a warehouse located in the Khalida Ferjan neighborhood in Salahaddin, south of

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

, adjacent to the Yarmuk Military Base. The detainees, numbering approximately 153, were almost entirely civilians. These detainees were often beat, electrocuted, starved, and even raped. Guards from the

conducted a roll call of the detainees and subsequently carried out a vicious attack. Survivors recounted guards opening fire from the roof of the warehouse and throwing grenades into the building. Many detainees were shot and killed during the assault. 53 skulls were later found in one location and other corpses were discovered in a nearby shallow grave but there was a deliberate attempt to destroy victims' bodies. There are known to be at least 20 survivors. Videos were taken of the site of the massacre, showing the remains of the bodies which were mostly ashes. Picture of victims of yarmuk

Survivors of the massacre provided testimonies of the events. Abdulrahim Ibrahim Bashir, one of the survivors, said he escaped the onslaught by fleeing over a wall while guards were reloading their weapons. He then hid in a nearby house with some other survivors, some of whom were wounded. When they came out after three days of hiding, they noticed the fire, met the rebel brigades, and discovered the site of the incinerator. Abdulrahim recounted witnessing guards killing wounded detainees and identified one of the perpetrators as a soldier named Ibrahim from

Tajura Tajura (), also spelt ''Tajoura'', is a town in north-western Libya, and baladiyah in the Tripoli District, Libya, Tripoli Muhafazah, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast east of Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. From 2001 to 2007 Tajura wa ...

. He also testified to being forced to repeat the

Shahada The ''Shahada'' ( ; , 'the testimony'), also transliterated as ''Shahadah'', is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and part of the Adhan. It reads: "I bear witness that there is no Ilah, god but God in Islam, God ...

using Gaddafis name, and to refer to him as god.

Discovery

The Yarmuk massacre came to light when

National Transitional Council The National Transitional Council (NTC) was a transitional government established in the 2011 Libyan civil war. After rebel forces overthrew the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of Muammar Gaddafi in August 2011, the NTC governed Libya for a further ...

fighters seized the military base on August 26, 2011. They sensed the smell of fire and found the warehouse with smoke rising from it. They followed where the smell was coming from, they then discovered the charred remains of approximately 45 individuals within the warehouse.

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

investigated the site and observed bullet holes in the warehouse roof.

Trials

Following the massacre, trials were conducted to hold perpetrators accountable. In one case, ten individuals faced charges including torture and murder at the Yarmouk Detention Camp. Another case involved defendants associated with the operation of the makeshift prison. Sergeant-Major Hamza Mabrouk El-Harizi faced charges of mass murder in a separate military court proceeding. Survivors and victims' families actively participated in the trials, seeking justice and accountability.

References

{{coord missing, Libya 2011 murders in Libya August 2011 crimes in Africa August 2011 in Libya Massacres in 2011 Massacres in Libya Tripoli in the Libyan civil war (2011) Arson in Libya Arson in 2011 2010s fires in Africa Building and structure fires in Africa 21st-century mass murder in Libya Attacks on buildings and structures in Libya Attacks on buildings and structures in 2011

Background information

The massacre

Discovery

Trials

See also

References