Panafrican News Agency

Libyan newspaper reports seizure of its 23 June edition in the east

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The management of a Libyan newspaper says its edition of 23 June was confiscated in the eastern town of Ajdabiya, 120 km east of Benghazi.

Ajdabiya News announced on Friday that its issue 820 was confiscated at all newspaper distribution kiosks in the local market against the backdrop of insecurity in the town after the disappearance of a civil society activist.

In a statement, the newspaper's management said it was surprised by the confiscation of the entire issue 820 of the newspaper wherever it was sold.

"The newspaper's mention in its edition of the disappearance of the director of the Red Crescent branch in Ajdabiya, Mansour Atti, may have disturbed the city's security authorities," the statement said.

The seized edition treated the incident under two main headlines: "Mansour Atti's kidnapping... reveals the fragility of the security situation in Ajdabiya" and "The Benghazi derby is at the door, and Mansour Atti is still missing".

Mansour Atti's disappearance was reported on 3 June after his car was found near his workplace in the direction of the Red Crescent branch in Ajdabiya, but he could not be found and the reasons for his disappearance were not known.

Controlled with an iron fist by the forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) based in the east, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the eastern region has been experiencing security breaches in recent months with an increase in kidnappings, assassinations and enforced disappearances of civil society activists, journalists or ordinary citizens who express a critical stance towards the army or its leader.

This situation has been criticised by international human rights organisations, which refer to the torture of civilians in mock trials before military courts.

-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/MA 26June2021