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Amazigh activist abducted in Benghazi and accused of espionage
[Libya Observer] Amazigh human rights...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... activist, Rabea Jayash, was kidnapped on December 27 in Benghazi by an gang affiliated with Khalifa Haftar  ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...’s self-styled army. Jayash, from the western town of Yefren, was invited by a friend to visit Benghazi to attend a celebration of the Independence Day at the Kids’ Theatre. Local sources from Yefren said Jayash was kidnapped by button men outside the theatre after speaking over the telephone using his Amazigh language. "The button men jugged Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! him immediately, searched his bag and found a book written in Tamazight language. They accused him of espionage." The sources added. Jayash was kidnapped together with his Benghazi host, Jamal Fellah, who was later released after interrogation over his links to Jayash. Jayash’s fate is still unknown. The National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) has strongly condemned what it called the arbitrary detention of cultural and human rights activist Rabea Jayash. The NCHRL disclosed that Jayash was kidnapped by an gang led by Ali al-Amrouni called "The Districts Operations Room of Libyan Army in Benghazi." The human rights group demanded bigwigs of so-called "Libyan Army" to intervene and secure Jayash’s release. Posted by: Fred 2018-01-05 |
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