Accusations of Ignoring Court Rulings on Tawergha and the Landfill; Question Over the Rule of Law
LIBYA – House of Representatives member Jaballah Al-Shaibani criticised recent remarks by the mayor of Misrata on clinging to a civil state and rejecting military rule, describing them as selective and questioning how far the municipal council abides by the foundations of a state of law and the judiciary.
Civil State and the Rule of Law
In a Facebook post, Al-Shaibani commented on a meeting of Misrata notables and activists who affirmed that the municipal council is the city’s legitimate representative, arguing that the mayor’s declared alignment with a civil state contradicts his positions on the ground.
He said: “A civil state is not merely a slogan raised on occasions — it is the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and respect for judicial rulings and their enforcement.”
Court Rulings on Tawergha
Al-Shaibani listed several breaches and cases in which he said the mayor of Misrata ignored binding court rulings, including failure to respect judgments that suspended and cancelled Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s decision to annex Tawergha municipality to Misrata and form municipal branches under it.
He added that the mayor refrained from implementing a court ruling cancelling his decision to create a municipal branch in Tawergha and appoint a head for it, as well as a ruling suspending the appointment of several neighbourhood headmen against residents’ wishes.
Landfill and Prosecutor General’s Memo
Al-Shaibani accused the mayor of ignoring a Prosecutor General memo calling for the Misrata municipal landfill to be closed and for burning waste there to stop, because of health and environmental harm from pollution that had forced some Tawergha residents to leave their homes.
He said refusing to enforce court rulings is a crime punishable by law, noting that the Prosecutor General had been notified of these violations.
Question Over Enforcing the Law’s Authority
Al-Shaibani concluded by asking why the law’s authority has still not been enforced, saying sarcastically: “Is the concept of sovereignty being applied as: no to military rule and yes to militia rule — and a civil state for them, not for us?”
