The assassination of Khansaa Mujahed, which took place in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Friday, has shocked the public and ignited a wave of widespread fury. The young woman was fatally shot inside her vehicle in the Al-Sarraj district, dying instantly and leaving behind her infant daughter. Mujahed was identified as the wife of former Political Dialogue Committee member Muadh Al-Manfukh. Eyewitness accounts indicate that her car was initially fired upon as she drove through the area, and when she attempted to flee, she was targeted again, resulting in her immediate death.
In the wake of the crime, demands for an immediate investigation have escalated. The State Ministry for Women’s Affairs strongly condemned the act, describing it as a tragedy that “shakes the conscience of the nation.” The ministry called for a swift and transparent inquiry, holding all those involved accountable, while also advocating for enhanced measures to protect women from violence across all regions of Libya.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a strong condemnation of the killing, which occurred in the Janzour area of Tripoli. It offered its deepest condolences to the family. The Mission stressed that this horrific incident highlights the urgent need to address all similar killings and ensure full accountability. UNSMIL urged the competent authorities to conduct a rapid and transparent investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Mission further warned against the continuous pattern of violence targeting women and female activists in public life, appealing to all parties to exercise restraint and cooperate with the investigation.
Member of Parliament Rabiaa Abu Ras called for justice for the victim and the prosecution of the assailants, demanding a review of the entire security apparatus. She pointed out that the assassination took place “under a security siege that the Ministry of Interior describes as a security announcement.” In response, the Ministry of Interior instructed the Directors of Security for Tripoli and Janzour to immediately initiate search and investigation procedures to uncover the identity of the gunmen, responding to the widespread public and institutional demands to halt the violence and protect civilians.
The severity of the security demands intensified as the First Support Force in Zawiya (affiliated with Colonel Mohamed Bahroon) held the head of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and his Interior Minister, Emad Al-Trabelsi, “fully responsible for the incident.” Their statement denounced the daylight operation as “cowardly,” insisting on the swift handover of all those involved to justice, and warned of “consequences that will follow to confront this crime.” Separately, Othman Al-Lahab, commander of the Al-Sil’a Battalion in Zawiya, issued a specific deadline to Dbeibah and Al-Trabelsi to reveal the circumstances of Mujahed’s murder, urging the people of Zawiya to demonstrate and demand accountability, and warning that the battalion would not be responsible for subsequent events if the truth were not publicly revealed.
