Four Libyan citizens imprisoned in Italy since 2015 have returned home after the completion of the legal and administrative procedures required for their departure.
The Libyan Embassy in Rome confirmed that Tariq Al-Amami, Mohannad Khashiba, Abdulrahman Abdulmonsef and Mohamed Al-Mazoughi arrived in Libya on Monday evening.
The four men were involved in what became widely known in Libya as the “football players case.” An Italian court sentenced them to 30 years in prison in 2015 after convicting them on charges related to human trafficking and irregular migration.
Their families have consistently disputed the allegations, maintaining that the young men left Libya for Europe in pursuit of professional football careers.
The case attracted renewed public attention several months ago after Khashiba sewed his mouth shut and began an open-ended hunger strike in an Italian prison. His protest caused widespread anger in Libya and renewed calls for authorities to secure the prisoners’ release and return.
In June, Italian authorities released Al-Amami and Khashiba while the remaining legal and administrative arrangements were being completed. The Libyan Embassy said at the time that it was coordinating with Italian judicial authorities and the defence team.
The return of the four men brings an end to a case that lasted for more than ten years and attracted considerable public and diplomatic attention in Libya.