Libyan People's Court

Last updated
Judges of the People's Court, including Bashir Houadi (second from left), the Chief Judge. Judges of the Libyan People's Court, 1971.jpg
Judges of the People's Court, including Bashir Houadi (second from left), the Chief Judge.

The Libyan People's Court is an emergency tribunal founded in Libya after the revolution of 1 September 1969. Although its initial purpose was to try the officials of the overthrown Kingdom, many others also were tried by this court. This article discusses only the trial of officials of the Kingdom.

Contents

Historical background

The Court

  1. Fabricating the election's results.
  2. Corruption of the royal palaces and the attendants.
  3. Corrupting the public opinion.
  4. Repressing the popular movements.
  5. Corrupting the political life.

The Verdicts

Most of the verdicts were declared in 1971. Some were declared in 1972. Because of the large number of defendants, only a selection of important and high-ranking officials are shown here. [8]

  1. King Idris I of Libya: death (in absentia).
  2. Queen Fatima Ahmed Sharif es Senussi (in absentia): five years in prison and seizing her property.
  3. Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi: three years in prison.
  4. Ahmed al-Senussi: death (later commuted and released in 2001)
  5. Idris Ahmed Busaif: seven years in prison.
  6. Omar Ibrahim El Shelhi: life-time prison (in absentia) and seizing his property. [9]
  7. Abdel Aziz El Shelhi: seven years in prison. [10]
  8. Wanis al-Qaddafi: two years in prison.
  9. Mustafa Ben Halim: fifteen years in prison (in absentia).
  10. Hussein Maziq  : ten years in prison and 2000 LD fine.
  11. Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush: four years in prison.
  12. Abdul Qadir al-Badri: four years in prison and 4000 LD fine.
  13. Sheikh Abdul Rahman El Qalhud: four years in prison and 4000 LD fine (prison's penalty suspended).
  14. Kalifa Tillisi: four years in prison and 4000 LD fine (prison's penalty suspended).
  15. Fadil Ben Zikri: four years in prison (penalty suspended for five years).
  16. Abdel Hamid Bek Derna: five years in prison and 700 LD fine.
  17. Es Senussi El Fazzani: three years in prison and 20,000 LD fine.

Aftermath

This was not the only emergency court formed by the revolutionary regime in Libya. Some civilians were tried by the “Special Military Court”. Respecting high officials of the Kingdom era, some of those sentenced were released in 1974, Like Hussein Maziq. Many prisoners (including many other opponents of Gaddafi's regime) were released in March 1988. But some of them remained in prison until 2001, like Ahmed al-Senussi, who was released only after thirty-one years in prison. [11]

Notes

  1. el-Magariaf, "Libia men al Shar’iya ...", p.179
  2. Ben Halim, "Libia: Inbe'ath Omma..", p.435
  3. el-Magariaf, p.188
  4. el-Magariaf, p.182
  5. el-Magariaf, p.256 & Ar-Ra'ed Newspaper
  6. De Agostini, p.77
  7. el-Magariaf, pp.820-829
  8. el-Magariaf,pp.820-829, Ar-Ra'ed Newspaper, & Ath Thawra Newspaper
  9. "Qaddafi – The Man and His Rise to Power – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training". adst.org. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  10. Little, Douglas (2013). "To the Shores of Tripoli: America, Qaddafi, and Libyan Revolution 1969–89". The International History Review. 35 (1): 70–99. ISSN   0707-5332.
  11. ALKALEMA NEWSPAPER, Sep. 11, 2011, No.19, Mu'assasat al Kalema lil I'lam, P.9.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muammar Gaddafi</span> Leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, also known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan politician, revolutionary, and political theorist. He was the de facto leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011, first as Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then as the Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, he later ruled according to his own Third International Theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senusiyya</span> Libyan Sufi mystic order in Sunni Islam

The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi are a Muslim political-religious tariqa and clan in colonial Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with what he saw as both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idris of Libya</span> First and only king of Libya from 1951 to 1969

Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi was a Libyan political and religious leader who was King of Libya from 24 December 1951 until his overthrow on 1 September 1969. He ruled over the United Kingdom of Libya from 1951 to 1963, after which the country became known as simply the Kingdom of Libya. Idris had served as Emir of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania from the 1920s until 1951. He was the chief of the Senussi Muslim order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Libya</span>

The University of Libya was a public university based in Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya. The university was established in 1955 and disestablished in 1973, when its colleges were split into two new universities: the University of Tripoli in Tripoli, and the University of Benghazi in Benghazi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasan as-Senussi</span> Crown Prince of Libya

Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Senussi was the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Libya from 26 October 1956 to 1 September 1969, when the monarchy was abolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed El Senussi</span> Crown Prince of Libya

Mohammed El Senussi is the son of Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi of Libya, and of Crown Princess Fawzia bint Tahir Bakeer. Born in Tripoli, he is considered by Libyan royalists to be the legitimate heir to the Senussi Crown of Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hussein Maziq</span>

Hussein Yousef Maziq a Libyan politician was Prime Minister of Libya from 20 March 1965 to 2 July 1967. He was one of the most important men in the Kingdom era of Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahmud al-Muntasir</span> Prime Minister of Libya

Mahmud al-Muntasir was the first Prime minister of Libya from March 29, 1951 to February 19, 1954, and again from January 20, 1964 to March 20, 1965. He was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs during his first term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohieddin Fikini</span>

Mohieddin Fikini, last name also spelled Fekini, was the Prime Minister of Libya from 19 March 1963 to 22 January 1964. He was also the Minister of foreign affairs from 19 March 1963 to 22 January 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Sakizli</span>

Muhammad Sakizli was the Prime Minister of Cyrenaica from 18 March 1950 to 24 December 1951. He was later appointed as the Prime Minister of Libya from 19 February to 12 April 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan Revolutionary Command Council</span>

The Libyan Revolutionary Command Council was the twelve-person governing body that ruled the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977. Its chairman was Muammar Gaddafi, who had the most influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gazala</span> Village in Butnan, Libya

Gazala, or ʿAyn al-Ġazāla, is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Tobruk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalifa Tillisi</span>

Khalifa Mohammed Tillisi was a well-known Libyan historian, translator, and linguist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umar Muhayshi</span> Libyan politician

Umar Abdullah el-Muhayshi, also transliterated as Omar al-Meheshi, was a Libyan army officer and a member of the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council that ruled Libya after the 1969 Libyan coup d'état.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi</span> Libyan supreme leader of the Senussi order (1873–1933)

Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi was the supreme leader of the Senussi order (1902–1933), although his leadership in the years 1917–1933 could be considered nominal. His daughter, Fatimah el-Sharif was the Queen consort of King Idris I of Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic responses to the Libyan Civil War (2011)</span>

During the early stages of the Libyan Civil War of 2011, the Gaddafi regime was still in power: but there was widespread withdrawal of support from that regime by influential persons and organisations within the country. Among those who no longer supported the regime, the main concern they expressed was what they regarded as its use of excessive force against peaceful protestors. There were many resignations by ministers of the governing council and other senior officials, diplomats posted abroad, and senior military officers. Islamic clerics, tribal leaders, and members of the former royal family expressed their opposition, while the two leading Libyan oil companies also withdrew support for the regime.

Abdullah Senussi is a Libyan national who was the intelligence chief and brother-in-law of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. He was married to Gaddafi's sister-in-law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi</span>

From 1969 to early 2011, the politics of Libya were determined de facto by Muammar Gaddafi, who had been in power since his overthrow of the Kingdom of Libya in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam</span> Libyan politician (born 1952)

Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam is the cousin and aide of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He is Libya's former Special Envoy to Egypt and a leading figure of the Gaddafi regime. He was a key member of Gaddafi's inner circle.

References