By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli, 11 June 2016:
The Presidency Council (PC) headed by Faiez Serraj has condemned the murder of 12 former . . .[restrict]Qaddafi soldiers released from jail by a court last week, and ordered a formal investigation to find out what happened and who was responsible.
The order followed a press conference today by a spokesman from the Attorney General’s office at which he confirmed the discovery yesterday of the 12 bodies – six in Wadi Rabie near Ain Zara, three that had been thrown from a moving vehicle near the morgue at Tripoli Central Hospital, and three thrown in the same manner near the morgue at Tripoli Medical Centre.
All had been shot in the head and the bodies showed signs of torture, according to Attorney General spokesman Sadik Essur.
The whereabouts of a further seven soldiers who were also ordered to be released with the 12 are meanwhile unknown.
The killings, which have shocked Libyans, are already beginning to having political ramifications.
Accusations of responsibility are being directed against the Presidency Council and the controversial grand mufti, Sadik Ghariani. In the case of the former, it is on the basis that it has legitimised a number of militias – and it is widely believed that a militia must have been involved. In the case of the latter, the accusation is on the basis that last week he criticised the court for releasing past regime figures, claiming that it was against Islamic law.
The circumstances of the killings are far from clear and subject to dispute.
Ali Gatrani, who has put out a statement condemning the killings, has intimated that the men were killed while still in prison. He too blamed the PC for enabling it to happen but insisting that he should not be blamed because he has boycotted the PC.
He also called for not only a national but an international investigation involving the International Criminal Court.
However, Ali Al-Saadi, the head of the Ruwaimi prison in Tripoli’s Ain Zara district where most of the victims were held, has issued a statement claiming that following the court decision the prisoners were released into their families’ care and left the prison with them.
The 12 were killed the same day.
There has been no statement as yet from any of the families, confirming or denying the version of events from Al-Saadi, said to be a cousin of militant political hardliner Sami Al-Saadi.
The killings have also been condemned by UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler.
The 12 dead have been named as Mohamed Alwash, Ibrahim Alwash. Salah Swahih, Marwan Enbia, Asharf Lamlum, Ali Alwaher. Mohamed Alriahi, Rabih Khalifa, Wajdi Alhadi, Ali Trabelsi, Mohamed Abdel Atti, Akram Naser and Ali Mohamed Waher.
According to the Attorney General spokesman, they and the seven others currently unaccounted for had been accused of killing demonstrators in February 2011. The case finally went to court in 2014 and took two years to adjudicate. Last Wednesday, the judge finally issued a resolution to release them all, with the proviso that their passports were handed over to the Attorney General’s office.
On Wednesday and Thursday, said Essur, the families handed over the passports and the Attorney General gave orders to release them.
It was at this point that events become unclear. [/restrict]
