UN Libya mission alarmed by reported torture footage in detention facility

The UN Libya mission expressed on Tuesday its alarm over what it said was footage circulating on social media featuring "brutal torture and ill-treatment" of detainees at the Gernada detention facility in eastern Libya.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the location nor date of the footage, however architectural details seen on the videos, including the type of tiles on the floor, the wall painting and cell bars are consistent with file imagery of the prison from corroborating reports.

"As UNSMIL continues to verify the circumstances of the circulated footage, it strongly condemns these acts that constitute serious violations of international human rights law," it said.

The UN mission said the footage was consistent with what it described as "documented patterns of human rights violations in detention facilities across Libya".

It also called for an immediate investigation into the accusations, adding that it is coordinating with the General Command of Libyan National Army for "unrestricted access to UNSMIL’s human rights officers and other independent monitors to the Gernada facility as well as other detention centres under their control".

There was no immediate comment from Libyan authorities regarding the videos or the UN report.

The North African country has plunged into chaos and lawlessness after the toppling of the regime of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in Nato-backed uprising in 2011.