Libyan Authorities Free 263 Migrants Held for Ransom by Human Traffickers
Libyan security forces have rescued 263 migrants who were being held captive by a human trafficking network in the eastern city of Jalu, the country’s Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday. The migrants, primarily from Somalia and Eritrea, had been detained and subjected to severe abuse while their captors demanded ransoms of up to $17,000 for their release.
In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that two members of the criminal group responsible for the operation had been arrested, while others remain at large. “Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department investigated the imprisonment of 263 illegal migrants to force their families to pay ransom for their freedom,” the statement read.
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Authorities say the group was involved in human trafficking and illegal migration, preying on migrants who sought to reach Europe through Libya. The country has been a major transit point for migrants from Africa hoping to cross the Mediterranean, particularly since the fall of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 led to ongoing instability.
Human rights organizations have frequently raised concerns about the treatment of migrants in Libya, where many are subjected to torture, forced labor, and extortion by criminal networks. According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 1,806 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya this year, while 32 have died attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean.
