The Libyan Embassy in the People’s Republic of China has successfully facilitated the repatriation of four Libyan prisoners, with efforts underway to secure the return of a fifth inmate shortly. This was confirmed by Khaled Amhmed Al-Sayeh, the Charge d’Affairs, in an exclusive interview with the Libyan News Agency in Beijing.
During 2022-2023, five Libyan nationals were incarcerated in China. Al-Sayeh revealed that one of the repatriated prisoners, who had completed his sentence in Shanghai, was directly supervised by the Libyan Embassy in Beijing during his repatriation process.
The remaining three were recently repatriated, after negotiations with Chinese law enforcement. They were in the early stages of their investigations when the embassy intervened, before their referral to Chinese courts.
Al-Sayeh highlighted the case of one remaining Libyan prisoner in Hunan Province, Changsha, who was sentenced in 2023 to seven years imprisonment, and a fine of 30,000 Yuan. The embassy staff maintains direct contact with the inmate, ensuring his health and legal rights are upheld.
Efforts to repatriate this prisoner are ongoing, pending several procedures, including a commitment from the Libyan state or a memorandum of understanding for reciprocal treatment with the Chinese side.
Al-Sayeh noted that the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Justice, to prepare a reciprocal treatment memorandum with China. He also mentioned the presence of several Chinese nationals detained in Libya, both in the east and west of the country. These included offences related to electronic currency forgery, specifically Bitcoin. Some have been released, while others remain in custody.
This development underscores the Libyan Embassy’s commitment to protecting its citizens abroad, and strengthening diplomatic relations with China. The successful repatriation of these prisoners not only provides relief to their families, but also demonstrates the effective diplomatic channels between Libya and China.