It has been difficult for almost everyone to believe that Abdelsalam al-Mismari, a 44-year-old political activist and father of six children, has been assassinated. While most could never have imagined his murder, al-Mismari and many close to him had anticipated his death as he had been repeatedly threatened. 

It has been difficult for almost everyone to believe that Abdelsalam al-Mismari, a 44-year-old political activist and father of six children, has been assassinated. While most could never have imagined his murder, al-Mismari and many close to him had anticipated his death as he had been repeatedly threatened. 

Al-Mismari was shot dead with a bullet to his heart as he was leaving the mosque after his Friday noon prayers on July 26. A Toyota Land Cruiser car stopped him and an unidentified person inside the car called al-Mismari’s name, fired and quickly drove away. Mismari’s friend, Jamal Balnour, who was accompanying him, did not realize that his friend had been shot. But the unknown gunman was able to efficiently accomplish his mission, leaving everyone in a state of shock. 

While lawyers and many of al-Mismari’s friends were busy preparing his burial arrangements, angry people gathered on Friday evening to protest terrorism. After performing the Taraweeh prayers (extra prayers performed by Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadan) in Benghazi, residents assembled in big rallies starting at the Tibesti Hotel, where al-Mismari was staying and ended in front of his house in the al-Baraka area where he was assassinated. 

In the demonstrations that roamed the streets of the city demanding investigations to reveal the truth about al-Mismari’s death and bring perpetrators to justice, many of his friends who had abandoned him by not answering his calls and refusing to support his activism, were seen crying. 

The intensive presence of those who considered al-Mismari their rival and those whom he attacked and targeted using harsh words, was the most striking feature of the burial ceremony. Even friendship did not stop al-Mismari from attacking many of his fellow Benghazi lawyers, who according to him, had abandoned the cause, among them are many who joined the revolution in its early days and some accompanied al-Mismari in rallies supporting the Abu Salim Prisoners during the Gaddafi era. 

Al-Mismari, a lawyer and a political and human rights activist, was one of the most prominent  opponents of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi inside Libya.  Al-Mismari launched a sit-in in front of the Benghazi Court to demand the disclosure of information on the incident of the Abu Salim Prison, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Islamic prisoners, most of whom were citizens of Benghazi city, which al-Mismari had been defending for years. 

What is also so strange about the assassination of al-Mismari is that his stances against Gaddafi and his support for Islamist prisoners did not help him after the fall of the Colonel. The Islamist stream had quickly turned against him and started to attack al-Mismari in the media because he was against the Islamists dominance over key state institutions and because he insisted on building a civilian Libyan state. 

What sets al-Mismari apart from others is that he refused to hold any legislative or executive official position in Libya. His only interest was in providing solutions, suggestions, and when necessary, opposing certain actions. He was devoted to spreading awareness about the importance of building a civil state and his name wasn’t tarnished, neither before nor after the revolution, by any suspicions financial corruption or relations with foreign influential parties. This had made youth appreciate his opinion unlike other politicians who are in the forefront of the political scene today.

In the early days of the revolution, al-Mismari founded what was known as the 17th of February Coalition, composed of a number of lawyers and activists.  Through this coalition, a number of lawyers became members of the Constituent Assembly (the first authority to rule Libya after the fall of the Gaddafi regime).

Al-Mismari was not a person of compromises when it came to his nation’s affairs.  He started his opposition journey since the days of the National Transitional Council, which was formed consensually during the revolutionary days and which was chaired by Mustafa Abdel Jalil. Al-Mismari was most prominent among those who opposed the provisional constitutional declaration issued by the Council in August 2011, and he used to describe it as “disastrous for the future of Libya.”  He also accused the Muslim Brotherhood of drafting it to guarantee their partisan interests.

His journey did not stop at any of the stations through which it passed. He had recently organized and participated in marches and sit-ins demanding the dissolution of militias and he also strongly opposed the policies of the General National Congress (GNC), which he described as adopting the grants and gifts approach to silence all those who opposed its policies. 

Al-Mismari, a few hours before his death, had denounced the Islamic forces’ statement in the GNC, in which they described the current events in Egypt as a “military coup” and condemned those who signed the statement.  Al-Mismari said that “such an attitude will have a negative impact on the relations between the two countries.”

He worked hard to prepare for the Commemoration of the Martyrs and the Revival of the Nation uprising although he could not be present. The celebration was held on Sunday July 28, the anniversary of the assassination of General Abdel Fattah Younes, an issue which al-Mismari did not abandon and he persisted in demanding punishment for those who committed the crime. The celebration was held in Benghazi two days after the assassination of al-Mismari. 

Al-Mismri was an important person for his enemies and the first whom they were able to get rid of. It is most probable that he will not be the last one. The Libyan political scene has lost a great man.