By Libya Herald reporters.
Tunis/Beida, 19 April 2015:
There is mystery over the fate of Abdullah Sassi, the leader of Tajoura’s 101 . . .[restrict]Brigade. There are reports that he has been executed by Libya Dawn forces following the posting by Dawn of pictures of his seemingly lifeless body on the internet. However, pro-Dawn media, are now claiming that he is still alive and that he had simply had a fit.
It is impossible to say if where the truth lies.
In one photo that appear to show him dead, the words كلب الكرامة (“Dog of Karama”) is written on his forehead. In a subsequent photo, this has been erased and replaced it with the word قسورة (meaning “Lion”, the word some Dawn members give themselves). The first letter of the word كلب can faintly be seen underneath.
Photos of him, have since appeared showing him under arrest but very much alive. These, however, may have been taken earlier. There are no signs of anything having been written on his forehead nor of the contusions on his face in the “death” photos. He appears also to be wearing a different T-shirt, although this may be the result of poor lighting.
Claims that Sassi was killed by forces under the control of Dawn commander Haitham Tajouri, likewise cannot be confirmed. Tajouri, appointed by the Dawn regime’s former prime minister Omar Al-Hassi as the security chief in Tripoli, was seen as directing his men in the area during the uprising and there have been photos posted of him celebrating following its recapture.
Reports that Dawn has liquidating opponents in Tripoli following the Tajoura and Fashloum similarly uprisings cannot be confirmed, although it is known that arrests have been made. This newspaper knows of members of one Fashloum family arrested, of whom no more has been heard.
If Sassi is dead, it could have dangerous consequences in Tajoura. From a prominent local family, he had taken a leading role during the 2011 revolution in the district. His sister, Sabria, was killed by the Qaddafi regime after she was caught handing out independence flags to local revolutionaries.
It could also prompt the House of Representatives (HoR) to suspend its involvement in the UN-brokered dialogue. Its National Dialogue Committee today branded Libya Dawn as “terrorists” for its operations in Tajoura and Fashloum and warned that unless citizens are protected in Tripoli, the dialogue would be stopped.
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