WJWC Condemns Detention of Maghreb Convoy Activists by Haftar’s Forces

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) strongly condemns the continued detention of thirteen civilian activists from the Maghreb Resilience Convoy,

a peaceful initiative in support of Gaza, who were intercepted and besieged by forces loyal to retired General Khalifa Haftar near the city of Sirte in eastern Libya.

The convoy—comprising nationals from Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Sudan—was halted on its route toward Gaza and has since been held under tight blockade. The activists, including three Tunisians, three Algerians, six Libyans, and one Sudanese, have been arbitrarily detained, cut off from communication, and denied access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medicine.

According to WJWC, the convoy was part of a nonviolent regional initiative intended to express solidarity with the Palestinian people under siege in Gaza. “This was a civilian effort—a peaceful gesture of humanity and conscience,” WJWC said. “The decision to detain, isolate, and starve these activists is not only a grave violation of international law but also an attack on the fundamental rights to free expression, assembly, and solidarity.”

The organization stressed that the siege in Libya echoes a near-identical repression of a convoy in Egypt on June 14, where another solidarity group was prevented from reaching Gaza and faced similar obstruction by Egyptian authorities. “What we are seeing is an emerging and disturbing pattern,” WJWC said. “States and armed factions are moving to suppress even symbolic acts of regional solidarity with Palestine.”

WJWC also denounced the disinformation campaign that accompanied the siege in Libya, where unaffiliated actors circulated offensive and misleading content online in an apparent effort to discredit the convoy. The leadership of the convoy has since disavowed the recordings, issued a public apology, and reaffirmed the group’s peaceful purpose.

“These manipulations are not only dishonest—they are dangerous,” the organization warned. “They exploit the activists’ isolation and create a false narrative that justifies repression. The attempt to criminalize humanitarian solidarity is deeply troubling.”

WJWC holds the military leadership in eastern Libya, headed by General Haftar, fully responsible for the safety and well-being of the detainees, and demands their immediate and unconditional release. The organization also calls on the governments of Tunisia, Algeria, and Sudan to act urgently to protect their citizens and ensure their safe return.

WJWC further urges media organizations, civil society, and international human rights institutions to condemn this act and stand in support of the detained convoy members. “Silence at this moment enables impunity,” the organization said. “It sends the message that peaceful dissent and human solidarity can be met with force, isolation, and smear campaigns.”

In its closing statement, WJWC reaffirmed that solidarity with Palestine is not a crime, and warned that the silencing of peaceful grassroots initiatives serves only to reinforce the rhetoric of occupation and normalize a regional climate of repression.