Is apostasy illegal in Libya?
Death penalty possible
Atheism is prohibited and can carry the death penalty, with Sharia law serving as the basis for legislation.
Libya is one of 10 countries classified “Death penalty possible” for apostasy — 32% of the 31 with data. (Also searched as leaving a religion.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Apostasy in Islam by country
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Tunisia
- Legal The 2014 Constitution prohibits accusations of apostasy, protecting citizens from prosecution for renouncing Islam.
- Algeria
- Criminal offense Apostasy is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or fines in Algeria.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Legal No specific apostasy law exists, though ex-Muslims face social discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Palestine
- Criminal offense Apostasy is treated as defaming religion, punishable by imprisonment in the West Bank.
- Jordan
- Criminal offense Apostasy is not explicitly banned in the penal code but carries serious civil and criminal penalties including prison and marriage annulment.
- Turkey
- Legal Turkey is a secular country that does not legally enforce punishments for apostasy, though social pressures exist.
Other laws in Libya
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.