The Dar al-Ifta, Libya's religious advisory body, has published its opinion on the current unrest at oil refineries and ports.

Fatwa number 1402, issued on 19 August, states that “protests and sit-ins are, in principle, a legitimate right” but that they must be constrained and must “not cause harm greater than the harm for which people started protesting”.

The statement added that any protests should be made in a “civilised manner” and that “armed protests and the coercion of officials” was not permissible.

Lastly, the statement says that receiving wages for working days spent protesting is permissible if the protest is “legitimate”, but that it cannot be justified if the demands are not legitimate, or if labour action stops services which are deemed "necessary to the country."

The Dar al-Ifta is headed by Libya's Grand Mufti, Sadeq al-Ghariani.