![Amadou [real name changed], 20, began his journey at the age of 14 from Guinea Conakry. One of his major regrets is that he did not attend school because his family could not afford it. He worked hard for six years between Mali and Algeria, saving money to continue his journey. He arrived in Libya at the end of 2019 and attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea for the first time.
"The Libyans intercepted us. They took us back to Libya and imprisoned us in the desert. That was the worst experience of my life: they used to beat everyone, but I was their favorite target because I had dreadlocks at the time. They took pleasure in torturing me because of my long hair. They once beat me with a heavy metallic pipe on my shoulder and arm. The scars are still with me. I was injured and in pain, but I managed to escape by breaking one of the prison doors with some other inmates."
Amadou attempted two more times to reach Europe by sea, but was always intercepted and detained in Libya. On September 20 2022, he attempted one last time to leave Libya on a crowded rubber boat. Amadou and 75 other people were rescued by the Geo Barents almost two days after they left Libya, amid strong winds and waves up to three meters high.
"I wasn't afraid of dying at sea. I was already dead in Libya."](https://img.msf.org/AssetLink/l4yp24vuh7k8u2jl17f8u28yu7q02328.jpg "Rotation 17 - Testimony - Amadou")
Over the course of 2023, until Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ended medical activities in Tripoli in August, our teams witnessed and documented living conditions and abuses inside Abu Salim and Ain Zara detention centres, where thousands of people, including women and children, continue to be arbitrarily detained.
Our findings are contained in a report – “You’re going to die here” – Abuse in Abu Salim and Ain Zara detention centres – published by MSF today.
MSF calls for an end to arbitrary detention in Libya, and calls for all refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to be released from detention centres and provided with meaningful protection, safe shelter and to safe and legal pathways out of Libya.
“You’re going to die here” – Abuse in Abu Salim and Ain Zara detention centres
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