The United Nations has urged urgent accountability after 77 bodies were unearthed at militia-run sites in Libya’s capital, Tripoli. The gruesome discovery exposes once again the human cost of lawlessness in a country fractured by more than a decade of foreign intervention, militia rule, and political collapse.

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At least 77 bodies, including 10 charred corpses, have been found at both official and unofficial detention sites operated by Libya’s Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA), a militia aligned with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU). The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) confirmed the findings on Wednesday, describing them as “grim” and calling for an independent international investigation.

“The worst fears are being realized,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “Evidence of torture, abuse, and extrajudicial executions is mounting, and those responsible must be held to account.”

The bodies were discovered between May 18 and 21 at multiple sites, including the SSA’s headquarters in Abu Salim and the Tripoli Zoo, also controlled by the group. Sixty-seven of the bodies had been stored in hospital refrigerators before being officially reported.

These revelations come in the wake of the assassination of Abdelghani al-Kikli—known as “Ghaniwa”—SSA’s powerful leader, who was gunned down in southern Tripoli on May 12. His killing sparked deadly clashes between rival militias, resulting in civilian deaths and damage to vital infrastructure, including hospitals.

The SSA has long faced credible accusations of torture, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations. Its formal affiliation with the GNU has raised questions about the extent of state complicity in ongoing abuses.

“This is not an isolated incident,” Türk added. “Similar grave sites have been found across Libya in recent years. These must not become just more atrocities buried under political paralysis.”

In February, two other mass graves were discovered in the southern towns of Jakharrah and Kufra, containing 10 and 93 bodies respectively. Many of the victims were believed to be migrants trying to cross Libya en route to Europe.

Since the 2011 NATO-led operation that deposed Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has remained deeply divided between rival administrations in Tripoli and Benghazi. Amid stalled peace processes, foreign interference, and the proliferation of armed groups, the country has become a hub for human trafficking, particularly of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

Thousands of migrants are currently detained in overcrowded, unregulated camps run by militias or semi-official bodies, often with impunity. The UN and human rights organizations have repeatedly documented patterns of abuse including torture, rape, forced labor, and extortion in these facilities.

The OHCHR is now urging Libyan authorities to preserve all evidence and ensure accountability. “The sites must be sealed, the evidence secured, and the international community must not look away,” Türk stressed.

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