Region | Libya
Libya releases 'disappeared' dissident, says rights group
The Libyan government has freed a political prisoner after he was arrested 15 months ago, the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:10 May 30, 2008
London: The Libyan government has freed a political prisoner after he was arrested 15 months ago, the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
Juma Boufayed was arrested along with 13 Libyan political activist in February last year. The group had planned to protest what they called police brutality.
Boufayed was freed on Tuesday, erasing fears he might have been killed.
Of the remaining group of 13 detained last year, 11 are on trial and one man, Boufayed's brother Idriss, has been freed.
"This (release) is excellent news because for more than a year we feared Jum'a Boufayed might be dead," HRW said in a statement on Thursday.
But medical student Abd Al Rahman al-Qotaiwi was still missing, HRW said.
The United States had called for the release all political prisoners, saying human rights were part of the dialogue between the United States and Libya.
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