USCIRF Marks the 10th Anniversary of the Execution of 21 Christians in Libya

USCIRF Marks the 10th Anniversary of the Execution of 21 Christians in Libya

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) solemnly commemorates the 10th anniversary of the ruthless abduction and execution in Libya of 21 Christian migrant workers by Islamic State – Libya, an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  

“Today we remember the 21 young men who were brutally murdered by ISIS solely for being Christian,” said USCIRF Commissioner Vicky Hartzler. “The U.S. government must continue to be an unrelenting voice against violence that targets religious communities, including Coptic Christians.”

In February 2015, ISIS published the final moments of one Ghanaian and twenty Coptic Orthodox men working in Libya. ISIS militants had kidnapped the men in separate incidents, then forcibly marched them to a beach. There, all refused to renounce their faith before the militants executed them.

“While Libyan courts have convicted some of the ISIS executioners, the country’s broader ongoing environment of impunity undermines religious freedom,” USCIRF Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi. “USCIRF encourages the United States to support efforts to help stabilize the country in a way that secures freedom of religion or belief for all Libyans.”

USCIRF’s 2023 Factsheet provides an overview of increasing violations of religious freedom in Libya.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected]