On Monday Libyan security services in Sabratha arrested a second suspect in the murder of 15 migrants.
In a press statement, the Public Prosecution Office of the Attorney General confirmed that the authorities have raided five sites hosting irregular migrants. 159 were released, with equipment, boats, weapons, and survival kits confiscated.
Earlier on Monday, the security authorities arrested one suspect. Initial investigations conducted by the Attorney General’s Office revealed that 11 charred bodies were found among the 15 on the boat. This is believed to be a result of a dispute between two smuggling gangs.
On Sunday, the UN Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the “heinous killing on Friday morning of at least 15 migrants and asylum-seekers in Sabratah.”
In a statement, the UN said that eleven charred bodies were found inside the docked boat, with a further four wounded bodies found outside.
It added that while the exact circumstances remain to be determined, the killings reportedly resulted from armed clashes between rival traffickers.
UNSMIL called on Libyan authorities to ensure a “swift, independent, and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice.”
“This attack is a stark reminder of the lack of protection migrants and asylum-seekers face in Libya, and the widespread human rights violations undertaken by powerful trafficking and criminal networks who need to be swiftly stopped and prosecuted,” the UN mission concluded.
Notably, Spokesman for the Libyan Ministry of Interior, Abdel-Moneim Al-Arabi announced the opening of an investigation into the killing of migrants in the city of Sabratha.
Al-Arabi confirmed that Sabratha’s security directorate arrested five Ethiopian nationals, who are believed to “have information about the circumstances of the incident.” He explained that among the survivors of the incident were six Bangladeshi migrants who were receiving medical treatment.
Al-Arabi added that the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Bashir Al-Amin ordered an immediate investigation, and assigned a member of the Sabratha Prosecution Office as lead.