LIBYA-SECURITY/RELEASE Libyan rival government sets free four foreign airmen

Record ID: 735009

  • Title: LIBYA-SECURITY/RELEASE Libyan rival government sets free four foreign airmen
  • Date: 16th December 2014
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (DECEMBER 16, 2014) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF THE FREED DETAINEES JOINED BY THE UKRAINIAN CONSUL SITTING IN PRIME MINISTRY OFFICES TWO OF THE FREED DETAINEES SEATED VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY THE RIVAL GOVERNMENT'S FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMED AL- GHIRANI AND THE UKRAINIAN CONSUL FLAG OF LIBYA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RIVAL GOVERNMENT FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMED AL-GHIRANI SAYING: "In accordance with the decision taken by the general prosecutor on December 16, 2014, members of the Airbus A300, rented by the UAE Government and breached Libya without the knowledge of its government in its capital Tripoli, were set free." VARIOUS OF FREED DETAINEES AT NEWS CONFERENCE ONE OF DETAINEES SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF FREED DETAINEES AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RIVAL GOVERNMENT FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMED AL-GHIRANI SAYING: "Today, four members of the plane that landed at Ghadames airport were released and there are three other people are under interrogation by the General Prosecutor office and we hope that they will be released soon." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UKRAINIAN CONSUL ALEXANDER SIRO ASHTAN SAYING: "On behalf of the Ukrainian Embassy and the Ukraine, I wanted to thank the Libyan Government for releasing the detainees who are from Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine," CAMERA CREWS NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6FXHCPGRBFS4PU2YKI9MH8ISE
  • Story Text: Libya's rival government released four air crew members from Ukraine, Russia and Tajikistan who had flown into the North African country from the United Arab Emirates without permission, officials said on Tuesday (December 16).
    Seven crew members were detained on Nov. 14 for bringing in a "suspicious cargo" on behalf of the UAE, the Tripoli-based state news agency said. Libyan news websites close to the recognised government said the Airbus was delivering aid.
    Libya has two governments and parliaments, dividing the country. The Tripoli-based government has not been recognised internationally but controls ministries and western areas.
    The conflict has hampered supplies of food and medical aid to Libya's remote south. The Tripoli-based government accuses the UAE and Egypt of helping the east militarily, something they deny.
    Mohamed al-Ghirani, the rival government's foreign minister, said the general prosecutor had ordered the release of the four, adding that he hoped the remaining three in detention would also be set free.
    "Today, four members of the plane that landed at Ghadames airport were released and there are three other people are under interrogation by the General Prosecutor office and we hope that they will be released soon," he told reporters at a news conference where the four crew members were present.
    The Ukrainian Consul in Libya Alexander Siro Ashtan confirmed they had been released.
    "On behalf of the Ukrainian Embassy and the Ukraine, I wanted to thank the Libyan Government for releasing the detainees who are from Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine," he added.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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