By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 21 February 2016:
Zawia’s oil refinery was forced to close for several hours today as a result of a . . .[restrict]protest against the abduction of local House of Representatives (HoR) member Abdulnabi Abdulmuali.
He was seized by unknown gunmen after returning to Zawia from Tobruk two days ago. Protesting his kidnapping, family and friends decided to blockade the entrance to the refinery, forcing it to suspend operations.
The blockade ended several hours later when he was released – which his relatives later confirmed without revealing details.
Abdulmuali, a member of the HoR’s security committee, is one of eight Zawia HoR members, some of whom boycotted its proceedings. However, in divided Zawia where pro-Islamist militias hold sway, having a connection to the HoR is dangerous. Emhemed Shouaib, the deputy HoR president, had his house burned down at the beginning of last year.
It is not know if Abdulmuali was seized to prevent him returning to Tobruk to take part in the vote on the national unity government. [/restrict]
