By Libyan Herald reporter.
Tunis, 30 June 2017;
The House of Representatives’ defence committee has issued an order to the border control authorities to refuse entry to the Italian ambassador, Giuseppe Perrone. It is demanding an apology for a satirical tweet that appeared on the embassy twitter feed mocking the list compiled by the committee of 75 Libyans whom it had designated as “terrorists”.
Only when it gets an apology will the ban will be lifted, it says.
The tweet, which attracted some considerable criticism mainly because of its lack of diplomatic tact, was removed shortly afterwards, but there has been no statement about it from the embassy since.
The ban would mean that the ambassador cannot land at Labraq or Tobuk airports.
Theoretically, the committee has no authority to issue such an order: it can only make recommendations. Legally, from the HoR’s own position, a banning order would have to come from the prime minister, the interior ministry, the military commander appointed by the HoR (Major-General Abdul Razzak Al-Nazhuri) or the HoR itself in a formal vote. In present state of affairs, however, such legal constraints are effectively ignored.
Italy, nonetheless, continues to reach out to the east, with plans open a facility in Tobruk for Libyans in the east of the country to apply for visas.
