Ribar was born in Zagreb and lived most of his life in Belgrade, where he graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School.
During his studies he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and since 1936 led the Young Communist League of Yugoslavia (SKOJ), and he traveled around Europe visiting Communist conferences in Brussels (1935), Geneva (1936) and Paris (1937).

In 1940, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia authorities incarcerated him in the Bihać Prison for being a member of the Communist Party.
When the Second World War in Yugoslavia started, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Party and soon joined the Supreme Command of the Partisans, where he worked with Josip Broz Tito and Edvard Kardelj on the resistance plans.

In October 1943, Lola Ribar was named the chief of the first Partisan military mission to the Middle East Command.
However, just before embarking on an airplane trip in a captured German plane to Cairo, he died in the German bombing of the Glamoč airfield in south-western Bosnia.
Two members of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia, William Deakin and Fitzroy Maclean, wrote about the circumstances of the death of Ribar and two British officers from an attack by a small German aircraft, and Maclean said that he was an outstanding younger leader who "seemed destined to play a great part in building the new Yugoslavia".
Ribar was born in Zagreb and lived most of his life in Belgrade, where he graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School. During his studies he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and since 1936 led the Young Communist League of Yugoslavia (SKOJ), and he traveled around Europe visiting Communist conferences in Brussels (1935), Geneva (1936) and Paris (1937).
In 1940, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia authorities incarcerated him in the Bihać Prison for being a member of the Communist Party. When the Second World War in Yugoslavia started, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Party and soon joined the Supreme Command of the Partisans, where he worked with Josip Broz Tito and Edvard Kardelj on the resistance plans.
In October 1943, Lola Ribar was named the chief of the first Partisan military mission to the Middle East Command. However, just before embarking on an airplane trip in a captured German plane to Cairo, he died in the German bombing of the Glamoč airfield in south-western Bosnia. Two members of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia, William Deakin and Fitzroy Maclean, wrote about the circumstances of the death of Ribar and two British officers from an attack by a small German aircraft, and Maclean said that he was an outstanding younger leader who "seemed destined to play a great part in building the new Yugoslavia".
Ivo Lola Ribar