On Thursday, an armed group reportedly kidnapped Major General Rashid Al-Rajbani, Head of Libya’s Internal Security Agency outside his home in Tripoli, according to social media reports.
Eyewitnesses claimed that an armed group in three blacked-out cars kidnapped Al-Rajbani, while he was out to perform Isha (Night) prayer. He was taken to an unknown destination.
Sources stated that Al-Rajbani’s family filed a report to the Attorney General, and demanded he intervene to secure his immediate release. As well as hold his kidnappers accountable.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has not yet commented on the kidnapping incident.
In 2021, Al-Rajbani, was previously kidnapped from inside Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport.
Well-informed sources confirmed that this move came after Al-Rajbani was forced to resign, and Lotfi Al-Hariri was appointed as his successor. Al-Rajbani was appointed as Head of the Internal Security Agency on the orders of the former Prime Minister, Fayez Al-Sarraj.
Notably, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has documented a number of cases of illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of civilians, officials, journalists, civil society members and human rights activists in Tripoli during the past year.
“Under international human rights law, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are strictly prohibited as are abductions and kidnappings,” said Jan Kubis, former Head of UNSMIL.
“The Mission calls on the Libyan authorities to fully investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Libya must end the entrenched culture of impunity in the country”, stressed Kubis.
Libya has sought to emerge from a decade of chaos since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
A transitional government was formed two years ago under the auspices of the UN. It was tasked with leading the country to elections scheduled for 24 December 2021. These were delayed indefinitely.
Despite political progress in recent months, the security situation in the oil-rich country remains precarious.
