Recovery teams find two bodies in Tarhuna mass grave

The General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons has recovered two unidentified bodies from a mass grave south of Tarhuna.

The bodies will undergo forensic examination and DNA sampling at the Authority’s laboratory facilities. These samples will be cross-referenced with a database of DNA collected from families of missing persons across Libya to establish identities.

The Authority affirmed its commitment to continue investigations until all missing persons cases across Libya are resolved.

Tarhuna, located southeast of Tripoli, has been the site of numerous mass grave discoveries since June 2020, following the withdrawal of forces led by the Kaniyat militia.

The UN has reported over 200 mass graves in the area, containing hundreds of bodies of men, women and children who disappeared during the militia’s control of the city between 2015 and 2020.

The discoveries have prompted international calls for investigation and accountability for what the UN has described as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.