5Libya

Libya is effectively a lawless land where both native Christians and those passing through from other countries face extreme violence. With no central government to maintain law and order, militant Islamic extremist groups and organised crime groups both wield power. They target and kidnap Christians who become victims of human trafficking. Some believers have been killed.

If a Libyan from a Muslim background becomes a Christian, they are likely to face intense pressure and abuse from their family and the wider community to make them renounce their faith, or even be killed. Christians who publicly express their faith and try to share the Gospel with others are likely to face arrest or retribution from extremist groups.

There has been a small decrease in Libya’s ‘persecution score’ over the past year, mainly by a decrease in reported violent incidents (although the violence score is still very high). Although the country stabilised to a certain extent and saw less direct conflict last year, the overall vulnerability of Christians in the country remains extremely high.