Libya’s Attorney General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour says a nationwide review of citizenship records has identified more than 315,000 unlawfully issued national identification numbers. The investigation also found over 10,000 passports obtained with false information and another 710 that failed data-quality requirements.
The review identified mismatches between the Civil Registry Authority’s database and national ID records, alongside discrepancies involving voter registration and presidential election records. Prosecutors are investigating manipulation of the records underlying official documents and payments of public funds.
Authorities examined 34,022 family records. Al-Sour reported 4,587 cases under preliminary investigation and 421 referred to court, with proceedings initiated against 557 defendants and 44 convictions. The findings span investigations at different stages, from initial record checks to completed court proceedings.
Judicial measures include cancellation of 442 family records, suspension of 8,662 national ID numbers, and withdrawal or suspension of 571 voter registration cards. Authorities also ordered the withdrawal of 1,855 passports.
The investigation has affected financial entitlements as well as credentials. More than 84.5 million Libyan dinars in salaries and basic pensions have been frozen, together with approximately $24.7 million in foreign-currency entitlements and nearly 3.9 million dinars in family allowance payments.
Al-Sour said the measures are part of ongoing Public Prosecution investigations into the manipulation of citizenship records, which led to the unlawful issuance of official documents and the disbursement of public funds.
The review has run for several years. In August 2022, Al-Sour said investigations into the civil registry system began in 2017 and reported 88,819 false national ID numbers that had been used to draw about 208 million dinars. He said 86,090 of the 2,014,908 citizens receiving state salaries were using numbers not recorded in the civil registry, and that 3,829 forged voter cards had been registered for elections scheduled for late 2021.
In May 2023, he announced committees headed by 160 prosecutors, including officers from the Civil Registry Authority and the Criminal Investigation Agency, to compare the registry system with paper records. He said forgery had also affected systems that draw on registry data, including passport issuance, finance and social security records, and family grants paid through the Central Bank of Libya.
Sources: The Libya Observer
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
