Woman publicly flogged after adultery in Libya

A woman has been publicly flogged in the southern Libyan city of Sabha after being convicted of adultery, an incident that has sparked condemnation from human rights groups.

The punishment, reportedly carried out by the local Judicial Police, took place on a public street and was captured in a video that later circulated widely on social media.

In the footage, a man is seen reading what was described as a ruling by the Sabha Criminal Court ordering that the sentence be carried out in public. A uniformed Judicial Police officer then repeatedly lashes the woman, who remains seated on the ground with her face and body covered. Security vehicles can also be seen at the scene.

The woman was reportedly convicted of “zina,” a term under Libyan law and Islamic jurisprudence referring to sexual relations between a man and a woman who are not legally married to each other.

The incident drew criticism from the National Institution for Human Rights in Libya (NIHRL), an independent civil society organisation, which described the public flogging as a “dangerous precedent.”

The organisation said the punishment resembled practices associated with extremist groups and questioned whether the legal procedures governing such sentences were properly followed.

NIHRL also alleged that only the woman was punished, while her alleged male partner was not subjected to similar sanctions. It further accused the Sabha Criminal Court of ordering public floggings exclusively against women.

The incident has reignited concerns among rights advocates over the enforcement of corporal punishment and the protection of due process in parts of Libya.