By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 29 November 2013:
The Libyan government has been told by the Iraqi authorities that execution of a fourth . . .[restrict]Libyan convicted of murdering Iraqis has been halted, Libyan news agency LANA reported today.
Today also saw the Libyan ambassador in Baghdad called in by the Iraqi foreign ministry to protest the apparent killing on Iraqi lecturer, Hamid Khalf, who was abducted in Derna a week ago. A video was posted showing Khalf identifying himself followed by the execution of a hooded man sitting in a shallow grave. The Libyan foreign ministry later said that experts did not believe that the scene showing the killing was actually of Khalf’s murder.
The video said that Khalf was being executed in retaliation for the hanging of Libyan Adel Zuwai on 7 November. News of this only broke ten days ago. It came as a surprise to the NGO Libyan Prisoners Abroad, whose Taha Shakshuki explained to the Libya Herald that his organisation had been told that the next Libyan to die was a man called Abdulsatar Shalmani.
The LANA statement said today that the Iraqi government had told Libya that the execution of Libyan citizen “Adel Al-Shalali” had been halted on the orders of the Supreme Judicial Council. It added that the Libyan government had thanked its Iraqi counterpart.
The Iraqi comment on the calling in of Libya’s ambassador in Baghdad said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs … strongly condemns this terrorist act abroad which is far removed from humanity and Islamic norms.” However, it is reported by Reuters that it went on to say that Iraq did not believe that the Derna killing reflected the position of the Libyan government or people.
Iraq has asked Tripoli to track down the professor’s killers and prosecute people “who are trying to disturb the friendly relations between the two brotherly countries”.
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