Militias crack down on social, cultural life in Libya
A crack down on comic books and video games has pushed militias and civil society farther away from each other, prompting the youth to think about fleeing the country.
Comic books and video games can be controversial in Libya. Ahmad, 20, who asked not to use his real name, experienced it firsthand while attending the four-day Comic-Con convention — a multi-gaming and comic event that opened Nov. 2 in the capital city of Tripoli.
The crisis erupted on the second day of the convention, when the Special Deterrent Forces (SDF), a militia affiliated with the Ministry of Interior in the UN-backed Government of National Accord, stormed the convention and arrested dozens of youth. Blindfolded with trash bags and forced into the cars, Ahmad and his peers were treated as prisoners of war.
