Rédaction Africa Links 24 with H Mohammed
Published on 2024-02-18 16:42:38
Italian authorities have been investigation two Libyan militants, Abdel Rahman Milad, also known as Bija, and Osama al-Khuni Ibrahim, who are both accused of crimes including human trafficking, torture, and smuggling. The investigation is being conducted by the prosecutor’s office of the city of Agrigento and has collected numerous testimonies linking the two militants to various crimes, including human trafficking, the smuggling of fuel, weapons, and drugs. This news comes after a ruling by Italy’s highest judicial authority that penalizes sending refugees and migrants rescued in the Central Mediterranean to the Libyan coast guard due to the unsafe conditions in Libya.
According to the investigation, Milad and al-Khuni have been linked to three torturers who were arrested in Sicily and sentenced to 20 years in prison each. The Italian prosecution claims that the three worked in the service of Milad and Osama al-Khuni and carried out extreme torture, resulting in the death of refugees. Testimonies have been collected from migrants, one dating back to 2019, who arrived in Italy through the Libyan city of Zawiyah, where Milad and his associates operate. The migrants reported that a Libyan man named Bija, known for his violent and armed behavior, was the one deciding who would embark on the boats. They also heard his real name as Abdou Rahman, and he was previously sanctioned in 2018 by the UN for people smuggling in Libya.
Additionally, a leaked document from 2022 revealed that the Justice Ministry of Libya’s current government, under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, requested that foreign countries remove Milad from the international sanctions list. Even though he was previously arrested in October 2020, he was released six months later. Moreover, he was honored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and was recognized and appreciated for his work.
His key associate, Osama al-Khuni, was sanctioned by the UN Security Council in 2021 and has been identified as the de facto manager of the Al-Nasr detention center in Zawiyah. The UN reported that he directly engaged in acts violating international human rights and often acted on behalf of or at the direction of Milad. According to the UN Panel of Experts, both Milad and al-Khuni are expanding their smuggling network in collaboration with commander Mohamed Al Amin Al-Arabi Kashlaf and have established an irregular detention system that comprises several detention centers in Libya where serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws are being committed.
The investigation has also revealed the involvement of a network in the smuggling of oil through Malta in connection with mafias in South Italy and the Balkans. The UN report stated that the network has expanded to include various armed entities operating in western Libya to gain financial and other assets from human trafficking and migrant smuggling activities.
The Italian authorities and international community remain concerned about the increasing involvement of the Libyan militants in human trafficking and other criminal activities. The investigation will transfer to the Libyan authorities for further action, and international efforts are continuing to address and control the situation. The case continues to raise concerns regarding the current situation in Libya and the need to take action against human rights abuses, human trafficking, and fuel smuggling, among other crimes.
Read the original article on Libya Update
