Libya has freed a man under UN sanctions for trafficking and drowning migrants, Abd al-Rahman Milad, due to "lack of evidence" in his trial, The Guardian reports. "It's absurd Italy gives money to Libya's coastguard - [a] country that released a trafficke.
Libya releases man described as one of world’s most wanted human traffickers Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo
Libyan authorities have released a man described as one of the world’s most wanted human traffickers, who was placed under sanctions by the UN security council for being directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats.
The coastguard commander Abd al-Rahman Milad, known by his alias Bija, is suspected of being part of a criminal network operating in Zawiyah in north-west Libya. He was arrested in 2019 but was freed on Sunday after the military attorney general of Tripoli dropped charges against him “for lack of evidence”.
ROME: Members of left-wing political party Sinistra Italiana expressed their dismay at Libyan authorities’ decision to release a man considered by the UN to be one of the country’s most wanted human traffickers.
Abd Al-Rahman Milad, known as Bija, was arrested on suspicion of being part of a criminal network operating in northwest Libya.
He was released less than four months after his arrest in Tripoli. The city’s military attorney general dropped the charges against him “for lack of evidence.”
Italian newspaper Avvenire reported that Bija and five other Libyans were placed under sanctions in 2018 by the UN Security Council for being directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats.