On Tuesday, media outlets announced the release of the Head of Libyan Media Office, Mohamed Baio. He was kidnapped by an armed group, known as the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade (TRB).
Over the past two weeks, a hashtag of “#Freedom for the head of the Libyan Media Foundation” was launched by Baio’s family and went viral on social media platforms. Many social activists reacted to the hashtag and called for his immediate release.
On 20 October, Baio was kidnapped in Tripoli by the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade (TRB). A number of accounts on social media platforms circulated a picture of Baio inside the TRB’s headquarters. Other sources alleged that the TRB commander, Ayoub Abu Ras, was behind the kidnapping of Baio, and his two sons.
Notably, the US Embassy in Libya and the United National Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL), condemned the unlawful detention. The embassy reaffirmed American support for the rule of law, the protection of journalists, and for the freedom of expression of all Libyans.
UNSMIL called for Baio’s immediate and unconditional release. It warned that this latest round of “arbitrary arrests” highlights the risks journalists undertake to promote the right to freedom of expression in Libya. It also called for the need to respect the rule of law and reiterated that press freedom is critical to Libya’s democratic transition. “The right to freedom of expression, and the protection of journalists and media workers must be guaranteed,” it said.