Islamists Implement Lashing Punishment in Libyan Towns

Following are excerpts from a report on Islamists implementing the punishment of lashing in Libya, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on March 15, 2013:

Reporter: The crime of this Libya citizen living in Sirte is unknown. These images show dozens of men receiving lashings one after the other, at the hand of bearded men, some in military uniform. The footage has caused a commotion and a shock in Libya.

The lashing punishment has not been seriously implemented for decades, even though the law provides for it, especially in crimes of fornication. It has been revived, however, after the fall of Al-Qadhafi, and has become widespread, especially in Sirte and Darna.

The locals say that the men who carry out these extrajudicial punishments belong to Ansar Al-Shar’ia, which thrives in Sirte, where Al-Qadhafi was born. They exploit the security void and the absence of the authorities to implement the rulings of the shari’a, without bothering to resort to the courts.

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