A Tunisian court has sentenced six Libyan nationals to 44 years in prison each for their involvement in an assassination attempt targeting Abdelmajid Melighat, a senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity.
The ruling was issued by the Tunisian First Instance Court’s terrorism division, in connection with a failed car bomb attack that took place in Tripoli on June 13, 2024.
According to Tunisian media sources, four of the accused were arrested on Tunisian soil, while the remaining two are still at large. Their cases have been referred to the court to be tried in absentia. Tunisian authorities are now coordinating with Libya’s Attorney General to arrange the extradition of the four detainees.
Libya had earlier confirmed that the suspects fled to Tunisia following the failed attempt to assassinate Melighat by planting an explosive device disguised as a tire along his convoy’s route in the capital. The incident was widely seen as a politically motivated act amid escalating tensions between rival factions in Libya.
During the trial, the defendants denied the charges, claiming they were in Tunisia for tourism and that they were affiliated with Libya’s intelligence services. They requested to be tried in Libya instead. However, the court ruled against them, citing confessions from other suspects already detained in Libya, along with intelligence suggesting that the group had also planned additional attacks within Tunisia.
The case has raised concerns about cross-border security threats involving Libyan nationals and further highlights the challenges of accountability when politically motivated violence spills beyond Libya’s borders. The ruling also reflects growing cooperation between Tunisian and Libyan judicial authorities on counterterrorism and extradition efforts.
