Nadine Al-Farsi

Nadine Al-Farsi is a Libyan human rights activist from Benghazi who has been persistently targeted by forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar due to her outspoken criticism of state-perpetrated crimes, including sexual violence. Her work involves documenting cases of kidnapping and extrajudicial killings for international human rights organizations, aiming to enhance women’s participation in Libya’s political sphere and report on abuses against women to contribute towards rebuilding the state. Due to her activism and social media presence, Nadine Al-Farsi was forced to flee Benghazi and seek safety in Turkey. Warrants were issued for her arrest, and her father, Saeed Al-Farsi, a former colonel in the Libyan army, was kidnapped by Haftar’s forces in 2018 and later released. In August 2022, her sister, Nada Al-Farsi, along with her infant children, were kidnapped by militia forces associated with Haftar to pressure Nadine Al-Farsi into silencing her activism. The militia allowed Nada to speak with her family only after their father posted a viral video about the kidnapping. As of the latest reports, there has been no information regarding the release of Nada and her children. Nadine Al-Farsi’s activism has taken a psychological toll on her and significantly impacted her family’s safety. She continues to speak out against the abduction and targeting of women by Haftar’s militia forces, highlighting the ongoing crisis faced by Libyan women.