The Libyan Attorney General's Office on Jan. 16 announced the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 21 bodies. A prosecutor in Benghazi charged an individual identified by the initials "MFH" with human trafficking in connection with the discovery.

Israel has become the first country on Earth to recognize the de facto independent Republic of Somaliland, in exchange for a commitment from Somaliland to join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel. However, not three years ago, Israel joined the US as the only two countries on Earth to recognize Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara—a betrayal of the occupied Sahrawi Arab people who seek an independent state. And of course both these deals constitute a betrayal of the Palestinians. Somaliland and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic should be natural allies, and instead they are being pitted against each other in the Great Power game. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. In Episode 311 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg breaks it down.

The Tunisian government on Oct. 27 ordered a prominent advocacy organization, the Tunisian Forum for Social & Economic Rights (FTDES), to suspend its activities for one month. The organization has been outspoken in its criticism of President Kais Saied's crackdown on Black African asylum seekers and migrants in the country, and his promotion of racist tropes about migration. The move comes amid a broader repression of civil society.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Oct. 13 called on Italy to revoke its migration cooperation agreement with Libya, saying the arrangement "has proven to be a framework for violence and suffering, and should be revoked, not renewed." The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the countries, first signed in February 2017, was part of Italy's broader strategy to tighten its national borders. Under the agreement, Italy has provided technical, logistical and financial support the Libyan Coast Guard, enabling the force to intercept tens of thousands of people at sea and return them to Libya. However, NGOs have consistently documented how intercepted refugees and asylum seekers are routinely detained in inhumane conditions, where they face torture and other degrading treatment.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement Oct.  8 condemning the Tunisian justice system for sentencing a man to death for Facebook posts dissenting from government actions. Saber Ben Chouchane was sentenced for posting pictures of himself at recent protests, and statements calling for citizens to take to the streets to demand the release of political prisoners on the upcoming anniversary of the Tunisian revolution of January 2011. HRW called for the Tunisian government to "stop detaining and prosecuting people solely for exercising their right of expression."

Prominent Moroccan feminist Ibtissam "Betty" Lachgar was arrested by the kingdom's Judicial Police Aug. 10 after posting a photo of herself on X (Twitter) wearing a t-shirt with the word for God in Arabic (Allah) followed by the English words: "is a lesbian." This reference to the international feminist catchphrase "God is a lesbian" won her "blasphemy" charges from the Rabat prosecutor's office. The charge carries penalties ranging from six months to two years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 200,000 dirhams (approximately $20,000). The penalty can be increased to five years if the offense is committed publicly or electronically.

A court in Algeria has sentenced French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes to seven years in prison on charges of "glorifying terrorism" and "possessing propaganda publications harmful to the national interest," the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on July 1. Gleizes, who has written for French publications So Foot and Society, was arrested on May 28, 2024, in Tizi Ouzou, in Algeria's restive Kabylie region, after interviewing the president of football club JS Kabylie. Authorities alleged the interviewee had ties to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria designated a "terrorist group" in 2021. Gleizes' arrest was not made public until his sentencing on June 29.

The United Nations is demanding an urgent investigation after several mass graves were discovered at detention sites in Libya. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said June 4: "Our worst held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings."