Abortion in Libya

Abortion in Libya is illegal except to preserve the life of the mother. People who conduct or receive abortions may be imprisoned, with shortened sentences in cases such as pregnancy from rape. Initially inheriting an abortion ban from Italy, Libya made abortion a criminal offense under Muammar Gaddafi, with a 1986 law including an exception for life-saving abortions. The country has opposed the right to abortion, including at the International Conference on Population and Development; it is also a party to the Maputo Protocol, which includes a right to abortion. The country has a taboo surrounding abortion and lacks safe abortion guidelines. Women often travel to receive legal abortions in Tunisia.

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