Libya's rejection of United Nations Human Rights Council proposals casts serious doubt on the government's professed commitment to reform. During its first review by the Human Rights Council on November 9, 2010, Libya accepted general recommendations to protect and promote human rights but dismissed recommendations regarding specific violations and concrete steps to remedy them.

The Libyan government should immediately end what appears to be a policy that allows shooting at boats carrying migrants from Libya to Italy, and Italy should stop participating in joint patrols with Libya, Human Rights Watch said today.

Libya's new nationality law granting women married to foreign spouses the right to pass their own nationality to their children is a significant move forward for women's rights.

The Italian government should immediately offer to take into Italy at least 11 Eritreans it had previously forced back to Libya and who are now detained there and threatened with deportation back to Eritrea.

Libyan authorities should immediately stop apparent efforts to deport a group of 245 Eritreans, some of whom have been severely beaten by guards.

The acquittal by the Libyan state security court of a dissident charged with "insulting judicial authorities" is a positive sign but highlights the need to end criminalization of free expression.

Lebanon was right to flex its (limited) diplomatic muscle last week to express displeasure with Libya over the disappearance of Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, a leading Shiite cleric who was last seen on a trip to Libya in 1978. In a rare move, Lebanon's famously divided cabinet unanimously agreed not to send any of its top leaders to attend the Arab League summit in Libya that occurred last weekend, and limited its representation to its Arab league ambassador.

The Libyan government should take the opportunity of the Arab League meeting this weekend to reveal the fate of high-profile people who disappeared in Libya years ago and have not been heard from since.