Libya: Information on whether there was a coup attempt in 1995, and if so, on who was involved and whether there were subsequent mass arrests
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBY26150.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Libya: Information on whether there was a coup attempt in 1995, and if so, on who was involved and whether there were subsequent mass arrests, 1 February 1997, LBY26150.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac182e.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on a 1995 coup attempt could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. However the following articles refer to an 1995 assassination attempt against Libya's president Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
The attached 19 October 1995 report from The Independent quotes a French intelligence magazine as stating that Muammar Gaddafi was the target of an assassination attempt in Sirte in September 1995.
The attached October 1995 Defense and Foreign Affairs' Strategic Policy report states that in mid-September 1995 Islamist fighters attacked the al-'Aziziyah base, known to be the "primary headquarters of the Libyan leadership" and that Muammar Gaddafi was at the base when the attack occurred (ibid.). The report states also that two Islamist fighters opened fire on Gaddafi in Sirte on 17 September 1995 but that reports diverge on whether the attackers were captured (ibid.). Libyan security forces reportedly could not identify other participants in the assassination attempt, despite intense search operations (ibid.).
The attached 19 September 1995 Daily Telegraph report states that "the abduction from hospital in Tripoli of a gunman wounded in an abortive attack on Col. Gaddafi ... has led to unprecedented security measures and the expulsion of thousands of Arabs."
The attached 29 September 1995 Mideast Mirror report cites information provided by the Palestinian Pan-Arab daily Al-Quds al-Arabi on the 17 September 1995 assassination attempt directed against Muammar Gaddafi.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
The Daily Telegraph [London]. 19 September 1995. Gerald Butt. "Gaddafi Survives Murder Attempt." (NEXIS)
Defense and Foreign Affairs' Strategy Policy [Alexandria, Va.]. October 1995. Yossef Bodansky. "Libya Faces Extremist Threat." (NEXIS)
The Independent [London]. 19 October 1995. Robert Fisk. "Gaddafi Vows to Expel a Million; Robert Fisk Reports on a Threat that Could Dwarf the Palestinians' Plight." (NEXIS)
Mideast Mirror [London]. 29 September 1995. "Libya's Qadhafi Said to Have Survived Assassination Attempt." (NEXIS)
Attachments
The Daily Telegraph [London]. 19 September 1995. Gerald Butt. "Gaddafi Survives Murder Attempt." (NEXIS)
Defense and Foreign Affairs' Strategy Policy [Alexandria, Va.]. October 1995. Yossef Bodansky. "Libya Faces Extremist Threat." (NEXIS)
The Independent [London]. 19 October 1995. Robert Fisk. "Gaddafi Vows to Expel a Million; Robert Fisk Reports on a Threat that Could Dwarf the Palestinians' Plight." (NEXIS)
Mideast Mirror [London]. 29 September 1995. "Libya's Qadhafi Said to Have Survived Assassination Attempt." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report. 1995.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995. 1996.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
