The assassination of the Libyan lawyer Hanan Al-Barasi, known for her criticism of officials and influential people, was condemned by Libya and internationally, after an attack by armed men on Tuesday in the city of Benghazi, eastern Libya.
The Minister of Interior in the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bashagha, denounced the crime of assassinating Al-Barasi, and Bashagha said in a tweet on Twitter that the assassination of human rights defenders and opinion-holders and the silencing of voices is a heinous crime, a heinous form of tyranny, and a desperate attempt to destroy hope for the establishment of a civil democratic state in Libya.
The US embassy in Libya described the killing of Al-Barassi as a heinous crime, and said in a statement that her killing underscores the importance of establishing a government accountable to the Libyan people, rather than allowing corruption and brute force to dictate Libya's future.
For his part, the German ambassador to Libya said that he was shocked and stressed the need to hold the perpetrators accountable, as Amnesty International condemned the assassination of Al-Barasi, and indicated that she and her daughter had received death threats because of her criticism of individuals associated with armed groups in eastern Libya.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya also condemned the assassination of Al-Barasi, and said that the crime is a reminder to those in charge of the need to put aside their differences and quickly reach a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis.
Gunmen assassinated the lawyer and human rights activist, Hanan al-Barasi, in the eastern city of Benghazi, while she was driving her car in the city center.
Social media circulated a video recording showing the body of the victim covered in the middle of the public street in the place where she was assassinated, after her frequent exit in a live broadcast on Facebook, calling for retired Major General Khalifa Haftar to limit the extension of the influence of his son Saddam, and calling for him to control what it describes as the armed militias loyal to him. Which controls Benghazi.
Hanan al-Barasi is known for her stances against officials in eastern Libya, accusing them of corruption and illicit wealth, and she was kidnapped last March, because of her appearance in a video on social media in which she criticized Haftar and his policy in Benghazi, before he was released.