By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 30 August 2014:
Some 30 Libyan nationals have been taken into custody in the Emirates, . . .[restrict]in what is allegedly a series of politically-motivated arrests.
The UAE has made no comment on the issue. However, in a statement released today by the Libyan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Aref Al-Nayed, the Libyan ambassador said he had met the families of those who had been arrested and was in communication with the Emirati authorities.
Nayed said he was making sure that the arrested men were being given their right to due process. He understood they were in good health. He added that the embassy was in contact with the Emirati Foreign office to provide consular assistance and legal aid to those being held.
The ambassador also addressed mounting speculation that he had orchestrated the arrests. “Rumours do not help our brothers, friends and fellow Libyans and increase the anxiety of their families and loved ones,” he said.
Nayed, who is one of five hopeful prime ministerial candidates to be voted upon by the House of Representatives, has been implicated in the arrests after it emerged that most if not all of those in custody were members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Nayed and UAE authorities are ideologically aligned against the Brotherhood.
The UAE has been playing an increasingly visible role in Libyan affairs after it emerged that the Gulf state was probably responsible for air strikes over Tripoli targeting Islamist positions. The Pentagon in Washington has since confirmed the role the UAE played while the silence from the country itself on the matter has been complete.
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