“That a young man could face life in prison for expressing political opinions deemed unacceptable by those in power, begs the question of whether Libya has changed since the Gaddafi era," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director. “Libya adopted a constitutional declaration that guarantees freedom of expression two years ago. But instead of repealing draconian legislation used by the former regime to imprison opponents of Gaddafi, the new authorities are abusing the very same laws to stifle dissent.