Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

Information on "Channel Toubou" and the treatment of individuals running this channel by authorities was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the AOAD indicated that the "Tebu Channel" on Facebook is a "page [by] Libyan indigenous people called Tebu" and it "has many administrators in Libya and abroad" (AOAD 11 Dec. 2014). Corroborating or further information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The representative indicated that the AOAD is an NGO based in southern Libya with offices in several cities and towns (ibid.). The organization has approximately 40 "active" members from different parts of Libya (ibid.). According to the representative, the AOAD issues reports and statements on cases of discrimination in Libya and some of the organization's main objectives are to:

1. Bare all forms of discrimination through embedding articles in the constitution.
2. Detect all forms of discrimination within the state's institutions.
3. Notify the official authorities to take firm and immediate action against any discriminatory act.
4. Disseminate and [inform] the people about the discriminatory act inflected in their community. (ibid.)

Some other objectives include establishing equality amongst groups such as Arabs, Amazigh, Tebus and Twareq, and assisting victims of discrimination through the court system and legal panels (ibid.). An organizational chart of the AOAD is attached to this Response.

The representative listed several incidents in which members of AOAD were targets of kidnapping, including one in Ajdabia in 2013 "while they were documenting crimes against Tebu families by Al-Jazeera militia" and another case when the AOAD chairman was kidnapped in the city of Tripoli after a press conference held for the release of their annual report (ibid.).

A 23 March 2014 article in the Libya Herald indicates that AOAD released its annual report on reported incidents of discrimination in Libya for 2013 (23 Mar. 2014). The Chairman of AOAD, Abd-al Karim Sulayman Tuki, is quoted by the same source as saying that the organization "'recorded a number of discrimination cases against Libyan citizens purely on the grounds of region, colour, and ethnic background in 2013'," as well as "discrimination inflicted upon foreign workers in Libya" (ibid.). The Chairman also criticized government policies, saying that they were insufficient to protect the rights of minorities, as well as the military for "incidents of discrimination" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The article also presents Al-Sanusi Hamid Wahli as the Deputy Chairman of AOAD (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Aman Organization Against Discrimination (AOAD). 11 December 2014. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.

Libya Herald. 23 March 2014. Jamal Adil. "Minority Groups and Foreign Workers Still Face Discrimination." (Factiva)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Canadian Libya Council; Foundation for the Future – Libya; Libertas Constitutional Consulting; Libya Herald; Saudi Gazette. The following were unable to provide information within the times constraints of this Response: independent scholar; senior researcher, Tillburg Law School, Netherlands.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; African Voices; Africa Research Bulletin; Al Jazeera; Amnesty International; ecoi.net; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; International Federation for Human Rights; Jamestown Foundation; Middle East Eye; Middle East Monitor; Minority Rights Group International; Reporters Without Borders; Think Security Africa; United Nations – High Commissioner for Refugees, Integrated Regional Information Networks, Refworld, ReliefWeb; US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; United States – Department of State.

Attachment

Aman Organization Against Discrimination (AOAD). 11 December 2014. Organization Administrative Chart. Sent to the Research Directorate by the AOAD representative.