Fathi Eljahmi

Fathi Eljahmi (4 April 1941 – 21 May 2009) was Libya's "most prominent democratic dissident" for three decades up until his death, and received significant international attention.

He was arrested in October 2002 and sentenced to five years in prison for stating at a 'People's Conference' in Tripoli that reform in Libya would require a constitution, free speech and democracy. He was briefly released in March 2004 after U.S. Senator Joe Biden met with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi,

The Libyan government claimed that Eljahmi was put on trial in late 2005, accused of the capital charges of "trying to overthrow the government, insulting Col. Gaddafi and contacting foreign authorities, after he talked to a US diplomat." Eljahmi remained imprisoned.

Eljahmi died on 21 May 2009 in Amman, Jordan, where he had been evacuated for emergency medical treatment after falling into a coma in Libyan custody.