Libya Matters

"They want to take us out of the picture..."What does violence against women and girls look like in Libya today? How is this specifically impacting women human rights defenders? Join hosts Elham Saudi and Marwa Ben Abderrezak, alongside Noura Eljerbi, for the final guest episode of our WPS season, as they explore how women navigate Libya's unstable political landscape and shrinking civic space. They also look at what safeguarding mechanisms mean in practice within international forums.Noura E...

"Violence against women and girls is a political question"This week, hosts, Mae Thompson and Marwa Ben Abderrezak are joined by Hala Al-Karib to discuss the patterns and normalisation of violence against women and girls in the Horn of Africa region. They explore the roles, and failings, of international humanitarian frameworks on this topic and ask who has the power to unbuild and rebuild traditions. Hala Al-Karib is a women’s rights defender, researcher and the Regional Director of the ...

"We have more hope, we have less fear..."How did the 2011 Libyan uprising impact the rights of Imazighen (Amazighs) people? This week, hosts Elham and Mae are joined by Tuza Hasairi to dive into Libya's pre- and post-2011 political and social landscape for Imazighen people. In this conversation, they also explore what inclusion looks like for Imazighen women within Libya's political processes.Tuza Hasairi is the co-founder of the Tafat Foundation for Media and Culture, based in Libya.If you e...

"It’s not about religion, it’s about freedom of choice…"This week, human rights advocate Shadi Sadr joins hosts Elham and Marwa Ben Abderrezak to explore the current system of gender apartheid in Iran. Together, they examine the years, context and warning signs leading up to the current reality for women, and ask how accountability plays a major role in Iran's 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement. Shadi Sadr is an Iranian lawyer, journalist and human rights advocate and is the co-founder and ...

"We say those women's names over and over again..."In this episode, hosts Marwa and Mae are joined by Shuvai Busuman Nyoni to shift our understanding of leadership as a collective movement, rather than focusing on individuals. Shuvai explores examples from across the continent including Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Sudan.Shuvai Busuman Nyoni is a gender, peace and security expert and is the Executive Director of the African Leadership Centre (ALC), based in Nairobi, Kenya. If you enjoyed th...

"Be honest…"What has the Taliban takeover meant for women in Afghanistan today? Former Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hasina Safi, shines a light on her experiences in Afghan politics and the erasure of women in public, social and political life under Taliban rule, with hosts, Marwa Ben Abderrazek and Marwa Mohamed. Together, they also explore the responsibility of the international community on women’s rights in Afghanistan today.Hasina Safi is a human rights advocate and was Afghanistan’...

"Solidarity is not just a warm fuzzy feeling…"This week, hosts, Mae and Marwa Mohamed, together with Kaavya Asoka, explore how we build global solidarity between women in civil society. They discuss reprisals against women human rights defenders and activists and the role of the UN in bringing accountability into the picture of global women’s rights.Kaavya Asoka is the Executive Director of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, based in the U.S.If you enjoyed this episode, pleas...

“I don’t want to stop even when I’m 100 years old…”In our first guest episode, hosts Elham and Marwa are joined by Dr. Farida Allaghi to explore her experiences and lessons learnt as an activist growing up in Tripoli, Libya. She also delves into the current realities for women in Libyan politics today. Dr. Farida Allaghi is a renowned Libyan human rights activist and advocate for democracy and social development with extensive expertise in civil society, women’s rights, and youth empower...

To ease into this new season of Libya Matters, join our hosts Elham and Mae as they set the scene for the next nine episodes, delving into what we mean when we say Women, Peace and Security (WPS). They explore the significance of situating the WPS agenda within the contexts and perspectives of women from the Global Majority and highlight important themes that come up this season, including solidarity and allyship.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Pod...

For the final episode of the season, hosts Elham and Marwa welcome Dr. Noha Aboueldahab to Libya Matters to explore the role of the Libyan diaspora and what diasporas can offer to justice in their home country. Dr. Noha Aboueldahab is a Non-Resident Fellow in the Foreign Policy programme at the Brookings Institution, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs . She is an award-winning specialist in tr...

What is the goal of reparations and why do they matter? When should they be delivered and who should benefit? In this episode, hosts Elham and Juergen are joined by Professor Phil Clark to grapple with the topic of reparations for grave human rights violations and mass atrocity.Phil Clark is a Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London and an acclaimed author. He specialises in conflict and post-conflict issues, including transitional justice, peacebuilding and reconcili...

Hosts Marwa and Mae, together with Lord Alf Dubs, discuss access to truth, justice and accountability for refugees and migrants that have suffered gross human rights violations in Libya. They look at current avenues for protection and accountability, as well as how to effectively build migrants and refugees into future transitional justice mechanisms. Lord Dubs is a British Labour politician and former Member of Parliament. He arrived in the UK as a refugee in 1939 and has served a long...

Why are Special Courts needed, and do they help achieve justice? Could Libya benefit from a Special Court? How can a Special Court be compatible with other international mechanisms? To unravel all this, hosts Elham and Marwa talk to prominent American lawyer and former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp. Stephen Rapp has over twenty years of experience in the field of international justice and accountability and he served as the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court fo...

In this episode, hosts Elham and Mae are joined by Gissou Nia to discuss peoples’ tribunals as an alternative to more conventional criminal accountability mechanisms. Together they explore what a peoples’ tribunal might look like in the context of Libya. Gissou Nia is a human rights lawyer and the director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council. She served as a member of the prosecution for the Iran Peoples’ Tribunal in 2012. Our latest report, “Justice is the only way fo...

Carla Ferstman returns to Libya Matters to discuss the views, concerns and participation of victims and their families in transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, and to explore what a genuine victim-centred approach would look like in the Libya context. Carla Ferstman is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex Law School and has over 25 years of experience in human rights law and international criminal law. Carla recently authored a series of papers published by LFJL. The Vic...

In this episode, hosts Elham and Mae talk to prominent South African human rights lawyer, Yasmin Sooka about the importance of knowing the truth, how we can seek it, and how truth-seeking should fit into transitional justice processes. Yasmin Sooka currently chairs the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and is the current chair of the Board of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa. Our latest report, “Justice is the only way forward”: Perceptions of justic...

How do you deal with the past in order to move forward? And what does this mean for countries that have experienced conflict and mass atrocities? To kick off Season 4, hosts Elham and Marwa attempt to answer these questions with the incredible Justice Albie Sachs. Albie Sachs has been involved in human rights activism for over seventy years and was appointed by Nelson Mandela to be Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Our latest report, “Justice is the only way forward”:...

We’re back! This is Libya Matters – Season 4. New season, new guests, new hosts… and so much to discuss!More than a decade after the 2011 uprising, we’ll be taking a look at what justice really means in Libya and for Libyans, and how we go about achieving it. With a dazzling line up of guests, we grapple with the topics of truth-seeking, criminal accountability, victim participation, reparations, amnesties and much more.From this Wednesday, join Elham Saudi, Marwa Mohamed, and special guest h...

This episode presents the second Annual Justice Lecture delivered by Mr Hanny Megally in October 2020. Mr Megally examines lessons learned from past Commissions of Inquiry and the key elements of a successful investigative mechanism to facilitate accountability. Mr Megally’s lecture, delivered virtually, was followed by a discussion with Elham Saudi (Director, LFJL) and an audience Q&A with contributions from Pablo de Greiff, Stephen Rapp, Mervat Rishmawi and others. The full ...

How does the international media cover Libya? Are they held accountable? How should they report on conflict and political instability? In this special episode, we look at the challenges and opportunities for the media covering the Libyan story with Ahmed Gatnash, Raghda Ibraheem, Asma Khalifa and Patrick Wintour. This episode showcases the first instalment of Libya Matters Live, a live event which was recorded in December 2020. Check out our recent work on the rights of migrants an...

In the final episode in this season, our producer Tariq Elmeri goes deeper into Salwa’s family’s pursuit for justice, and why an independent investigation is very important to her sister Iman. We will also hear from activists and journalists, who will bring us closer to understanding what it’s like to work in these fields in Libya today, and what that means for Salwa’s legacy. This is a story of tragedy and triumph, and one we are honoured to tell. LFJL is sincerely grateful to Salwa’s f...

In this episode, we celebrate the achievements and resilience of Libya’s civil society movement over the last 10 years, which Salwa Bugaighis played an important part in creating. We discuss the challenges that civil society actors continue to face and ways to move forward. This is a story of tragedy and triumph, and one we are honoured to tell. LFJL is sincerely grateful to Salwa’s family and friends, and all of our friends and partners in Libyan civil society who have given us their ti...

In this episode, we take a deeper look at the rights to freedom of expression and association. Ten years on from the protests that started the Libyan uprising and in the year in which elections are supposed to take place, where are we in protecting and promoting these rights? And why are they so important for accountability, peace and democracy? We explore why it is important that these rights are available equally, what they mean for diversity and inclusion, and what has changed since ...

In today’s episode, we look back at the role of women in the 2011 uprising and the birth of #Libya's civil society movement. Salwa Bugaighis was seen by many to be one of the leaders of that movement and she was a role model for many women who were perhaps entering the public and political space for the first time. We discuss what has happened to the women who were so prominent in Libyan civil society in 2011 and how the landscape for women has developed since, including their ability to part...

On 25 June 2014, Libyan human rights activist and lawyer Salwa Bugaighis celebrated casting her vote in parliamentary elections. Hours later, she was brutally murdered in her own home, a crime which sent shockwaves through Libya’s civil society movement. In the first episode of a special new season marking the tenth anniversary of Libya's 2011 uprising and the birth of that civil society movement, we speak to Salwa’s family and friends to remember that day and reflect on what Salwa's assassin...

Libyan human rights activist and lawyer Salwa Bugaighis was assassinated on 25 June 2014. Nobody has been held accountable. To many, Salwa embodied all that is positive about the civil society movement that emerged from the 2011 uprising which she helped lead, and she remains an inspiration to this day. 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of that uprising. To mark this historic milestone, we have produced a special season inspired by Salwa’s life and activism, and what it tells us about developme...

When is a peace process a success? What role do human rights, justice and due process play? Is it ever ok to sacrifice those for political expediency? What part should civil society organisations play? In this special episode, Elham Saudi takes the hot seat and talks to Tarek Megerisi, Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and co-host Marwa Mohamed, about her experience and the challenges she faced as one of the 75 members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPD...

In previous episodes we’ve explored avenues for accountability, but what about legal measures that may prevent it? In our season finale we discuss amnesties, which are rather popular in Libya (there have been at least four since 2011 that we know of). We’re joined by Rupert Skilbeck, barrister and Director of REDRESS, an organisation focused on seeking redress for victims of torture. We discuss the prohibition against blanket amnesties for gross human rights violations under internation...

According to the UN, as of September 2020 there were 392,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya. Each one has a story, and each one has rights, but what are they? This week we talk with one of the world’s foremost experts on this often-misunderstood subject, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary. Cecilia is a human rights lawyer with over two decades of experience as an advocate for human rights in the Asia-Pacific region, a leading expert on forced displacement and migration, and since 2016 she h...

The Libyan media scene has exploded since 2011, but from established international outlets to fake news churned out by armies of Twitter bots, how can we navigate it? To guide us, we’re joined by Ahmed Gatnash, co-founder of the Kawaakibi Foundation, an accelerator for thinkers and doers focused on the future of liberty in Arab and Muslim societies, host of the Arab Tyrant Manual podcast and co-author of the forthcoming book The Middle East Crisis Factory. You can find Ahmed on Twitter a...

What is life like for Libyan women right now? What challenges are Libyan women dealing with? Can we even speak of Libyan women in general? Asma Khalifa is an activist, researcher, co-founder of the Tamazight Women’s Movement and Khalifa Ihler Institute, and leading Libyan thinker on intersectional feminism. We ask her how women’s rights work gets done, or doesn’t, in Libya today. You can find Asma on Twitter at @AsmaKhalifaLY **Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Liby...

What is art? What is culture? And what role do they play in Libya today? We’re delighted to reflect on Libya’s conflict in a very different way with one of the country’s best-known artists, Hadia Gana. Hadia has worked with ceramics and glass and produced many fascinating installations, and as a leading advocate for cultural heritage, recently founded Libya’s first art museum. Discussing the link between art and justice brings to mind our conversations with the great Justice Albie Sachs, who,...

Last year, LFJL and SOAS, University of London were honoured to welcome Mr Pablo de Greiff, the UN’s first Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-recurrence, to deliver the inaugural Annual Justice Lecture. Pablo is a greatly nuanced and lucid thinker. As we prepare for this year’s lecture, we listen again and reflect on the state of Libyan justice in 2020. **Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Find us at:&...

What does accountability mean? And how do we achieve it? Leading legal advocate and academic Valentina Azarova joins us to discuss how we can think outside the box and be more creative when seeking justice, why we need to stay focussed on the bigger picture when dealing with a crisis and where international law has its limits. You can find Valentina on Twitter at @ValentinaAzarov **Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Find us at: Info@libyanjustice.org &nb...

Shockingly, one in five households in Libya has had a person forcibly disappeared. What does it mean to be disappeared? How does it impact the disappeared person, their family and the wider community? This week, we have the privilege of joining inspiring human rights defender and women’s rights activist Jabir Zain to hear how he survived enforced disappearance in Libya. **Libya Matters is a production of Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Find us at: Info@libyanjustice.org Twitter...

This week we’re joined by Alex Whiting, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, Harvard Law Professor of Practice (on leave), former ICC and ICTY prosecutor and renowned criminal law expert. We discuss why justice has been so hard to achieve in Libya and why we should not give up on the International Criminal Court just yet. In a time of global crisis when the political will to pursue individual accountability is waning, how can we turn the tide? ** You can find Alex o...

We’re back! It’s been a year since the end of Season 1 and so much seems to have changed without anything feeling like it has! Does that even make sense? To help guide us through it all we talk to Tarek Megerisi, Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and one of the most prolific writers on Libya. He tells like it is and boy do we need that! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and a 5 STAR rating wherever you get your podcasts. **...

We're super excited to launch Season 2 of Libya Matters! This season is different. We go deeper and explore themes we've not done before, but we're still going to be asking the not-so-easy questions. Join us, as we challenge ourselves to think, learn and get uncomfortable as we bring nuance to all matters Libya.

In this episode, Dr Wolfram Lacher, Senior Associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and author of "Libya's Fragmentation: Structure and Process in Violent Conflict", joins hosts Elham Saudi and Marwa Mohamed to discuss sanctions. They discuss what they are and how they work, who has the authority to impose them and, most importantly, whether they are still relevant in Libya today. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review a...

In this episode, Hafed Al-Ghweel, non-resident Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at John Hopkins University, joins host Elham Saudi to discuss divisions in Libya. Through a rich and comprehensive discussion of the past and current situation, Hafed walks us through the many internal separations in Libya: the historical context, cultural differences and the growing polarisation within society. He raises the question: could the d...

In this episode, we talk about migration with Matteo de Bellis, Amnesty International’s researcher. As we try to debunk the official narrative in a relaxed and engaging chat, we share some interesting facts and stats and real solutions as to why migration is not a crisis, but rather a phenomenon.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review and a 5 STAR rating on iTunes. You can find Matteo de Bellis on Twitter as @matteodebellisCheckout Lawyers for Justice work at https...

In this episode, Poonam Joshi, Consultant Director at Funders' Initiative for Civil Society and former Executive Director of the Sigrid Rausing Fund, joins host Elham Saudi to discuss the threats and attacks civil society and human rights defenders face in Libya. Together, we explore how and why the space for civil society in Libya is shrinking, and how, as human rights defenders, we can begin to contest and counter this trend.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a revie...

In this episode, Tim Eaton, Research Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, joins Elham to talk money. By discussing how politics and economics in Libya intersect and influence each other, Tim walks us through the conflict war economy in Libya, how the economic structure itself has helped fuel the conflict, and who is really benefitting from this situation.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review and a 5 STAR rating on iTunes. You can...

In this episode, hosts Elham Saudi and Marwa Mohamed are joined by the amazing Laila Alodaat, Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, to focus on women. The episode delves into the specific impact of conflict on women and why women are so vital to peace and state-building. It also celebrates the bravery of Libyan women in the face of immensely difficult circumstances.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a 5...

In this episode, Frederic Wehrey, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of the book The Burning Shores: Inside the Battle for the New Libya, joins Elham to unpick US policy in Libya. Together, they retrace what happened at the Committee of Foreign Affairs' Congressional Hearings in May 2019, and try to understand whether US engagement in Libya can be positive, in the context of accountability and the rule of law.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscrib...

This week, host Elham Saudi is joined by the brilliant Tarek Megerisi, policy fellow of the North Africa and Middle East program at the European Council of Foreign Relations. We discuss the role of international actors in Libya, and the competing goals and interests that have often frustrated progress on the ground. During the conversation, we also ask ourselves what the Libyan view of the outside world is, and whether Libyans are all too reliant on looking to the outside world for solutions....

In this week’s episode, Carla Ferstman, Senior Lecturer at the University of Essex and former head of Redress, joins Elham and Marwa to talk about accountability in Libya. Through the lenses of human rights and international humanitarian law, Carla helped us understand what accountability really means and why it matters so much in the Libyan context (and beyond).If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a 5* review.Stay in the loop with Libya Matters by subscribing here: http...

In this special episode, we bring you behind the doors of an exclusive event we held at The Conduit Club in June. "Libya: the forgotten revolution" was our chance to discuss the protracted conflict in Libya with an amazing panel which included Ian Martin and Hisham Matar. From the impact on Libyan society to the role of international actors to the forgotten victims, listen to our guests as they explore some of the most relevant, yet often overlooked, aspects of the conflict from a human persp...

In this episode, Geoff Howard, a Libya analyst with great expertise on conflict resolution, joins Elham and Marwa to discuss why Libya is the exception to traditional peace-building models, and how to find better-fitted and more viable solutions to the Libyan conflict. While sharing his insight on peace-settlement, Geoff explains to us how political negotiations could be more successful, or at least 'fail well'.****You can find this episode's guest Geoff Howard on Twitter:https://twitter.com/...

In our first episode, Elham and Marwa give us a primer on recent developments in Libya. Who are the main players in the Libyan conflict? What are the UN Security Council, the ICC, and others doing about the situation? How do they receive weapons when the country is under a UN-sanctioned arms embargo, and why are fighters wearing flip flops?!

Tune in every Wednesday for a discussion on all matters Libya and why Libya matters. Libya Matters is a weekly conversation between our hosts, Elham Saudi and Marwa Mohamed from Lawyers for Justice in Libya, and "off duty" analysts, lawyers, academics, journalists, artists and many more discussing what has been missing from the news on Libya, always from the prism of human rights, justice and the rule of law.