Dr. Idriss Aboufaied is a well known human rights defender. He openly called for political reforms and for the respect of fundamental freedoms in his country. After 16 years of exile in Switzerland, where he obtained asylum, he returned to Libya, encouraged by official promises that he would not be subjected to prosecution or persecution. Despite commitments from the highest state authorities, Dr. Idriss Aboufaied was interrogated by security agents on 30 September 2006, upon his arrival at Tripoli airport, and his passport was confiscated.

He was then arrested on 5 November and detained incommunicado for 54 days, during which he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment.

Released on 29 December 2006, without having been subject to any legal procedure, Dr. Idriss Aboufaied reiterated, in a press release issued by several Libyan information sites, his determination to continue his fight for democracy. He attended, with other human rights activists, a peaceful demonstration on 17 February 2007 in Tripoli, demanding the imposition of the rule of law and the respect of civil and political freedoms.

He was arrested on the eve of the planned event, with 11 other activists. All were held incommunicado and tortured for several months without contact with their families or the outside world. No lawyer has been authorized to visit them.

On 7 April 2008, TRIAL (Track Impunity Always) and Alkarama for Human Rights jointly submitted an individual communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee concerning Dr. Idriss Aboufaied and his brother Juma Aboufaied, both victims of serious human rights violations by the Libyan authorities. Mr Juma Aboufaied was arrested just hours after his brother, presumably for having alerted, by telephone, people outside the country of his brother’s arrest.

Both organizations had called for urgent protection measures because of the dangers incurred by the victims being held incommunicado, in particular for the release of Juma Aboufaied.

Mr Juma Aboufaied was released on 27 May 2008 after 15 months of detention. Dr. Idriss Aboufaied, meanwhile had been evacuated to hospital because of his worsening state of health.

On 10 June 2008, Dr. Idriss Aboufaied was sentenced to 25 years in prison by the State Security Court, as a result of a grossly unfair trial.

While welcoming the release of Dr Idriss Aboufaied, Trial and Alkarama for Human Rights renew their call for the immediate release of Abdelrahman Al-Gteewi abducted by agents of the Security Services on 17 February and disappeared since 2007, as well as 11 other peace activists arrested on 16 February 2007 and sentenced to heavy prison sentences by the State Security Court as they peacefully expressed their political opinions.