Tripoli, 26 April 2014:
The Libyan Foreign Ministry has denied that a Libyan prisoner held in a Jordanian jail for a terrorism . . .[restrict]offence has been returned to Libya to secure the release of kidnapped Jordanian ambassador Fawwaz Al-Eitan.
Although these rumours are being denied, a government ministry official confirmed to the Libya Herald yesterday that negotiations were underway between the two countries relating to imprisoned Mohamed Dersi.
He was unable to give further details, although there has been speculation that Dersi might be returned, to serve the remainder of his life sentence in a Libyan prison.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Libyan news agency LANA today that it was in constant communication with the Foreign Ministries of both Jordan and Tunisia, in respect of the cases of kidnapped diplomats.
This, he added, was boosting efforts already being made by other Libyan departments and ministries to secure the release of Eitan, and two employees from the Tunisian embassy.
The Tunisian ambassador’s secretary Mohamed Ben Cheikh was abducted over a month ago and, on 17 April, embassy advisor Aroussi Gontassi was taken. Last week kidnappers released a video of a distressed Ben Cheikh pleading with the Tunisian president to negotiate for his freedom. [/restrict]
