By Libya Herald staff.
Beida, 30 May 2015:
Libyan poet Nassib Al-Sokouri is reported to have denied that he, accompanied by two other . . .[restrict]poets, Eisa Said and Khalifa Bugahima, and others, attacked the offices of the Information and Culture Authority on Thursday.
Refuting a statement by the head of the authority, Omar Gawairi who had said that a mob led by Sokouri had stormed the building and attacked staff, the poet – probably the best known in Cyrenaica – claimed that there had simply been a disagreement over a number of issues, in particular the need of a certain poet for treatment abroad. He was quoted by Buwabat Alwsat saying that he had no personal issues with Gawairi.
According to an authority official, however, the attackers who are said to have also included members of Sokouri’s family, were aggressive and threatened Gawairi and other staff, although no one was hurt. They were furious, the source alleged, because the authority had refused to buy a property owned by Sokouri. However, they were not armed with guns, he said. Gawairi was shocked at the incident and left the building, after which the poets and others also departed, he added.
It is reported that Sokouri was presented a car some months ago by the authority in appreciation for his work as a poet. [/restrict]
