LIBYA: Protesters gather in a Tripoli hotel calling on the Egyptian military council to hand over Gaddafi loyalists to Libya during a visit by Egypt's military council head, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi

Record ID: 858257

  • Title: LIBYA: Protesters gather in a Tripoli hotel calling on the Egyptian military council to hand over Gaddafi loyalists to Libya during a visit by Egypt's military council head, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
  • Date: 17th January 2012
  • Summary: TRIPOLI , LIBYA (JANUARY 16, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND MEMBERS OF NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS HOLDING BANNERS DURING ANTI-TANTAWI PROTEST IN HOTEL WHERE EGYPTIAN AND LIBYAN DELEGATIONS ARE HOLD CLOSE OF BANNERS CALLING ON TANTAWI TO CO-OPERATE WITH LIBYAN PEOPLE VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, NAME UNKNOWN, SAYING "We have specific and simple demands. Firstly we call on restrictions on the movement of Gaddafi regime loyalists who are in Cairo and we want them handed over to Libya in order to bring them to justice. Our second demand is a call for the seizure of Libyan assets in Egypt and to have them brought back to Libya." VARIOUS OF EGYPTIAN MILITARY COUNCIL HEAD, MOHAMED HUSSEIN TANTAWI AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL (NTC) MUSTAFA ABDUL JALIL WALKING PAST PROTEST/ PROTESTERS CHANTING
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya, Libya
  • City:
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACEZEVMMTJKU5KP7R0VK6SP00C
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A group of Libyan human rights activists and members of non-government organisations held a protest in Tripoli on Monday (January 16, 2012) calling for Egypt's military council head Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to hand over Gaddafi loyalists to Libya.
    The protest was held in a hotel in the capital where Tantawi was holding a meeting with Libyan officials, in his first visit to the country since the February 17 uprising that ousted former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
    Tantawi was accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, including economic, electricity and foreign ministers.
    "We have specific and simple demands. Firstly we call on restrictions on the movement of Gaddafi regime loyalists who are in Cairo and we want them handed over to Libya in order to bring them to justice. Our second demand is a call for the seizure of Libyan assets in Egypt and to have them brought back to Libya," one protester told Reuters TV.
    The protest comes days after nobel peace prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei pulled out of the race to become Egyptian President saying his conscience did not allow him to run for any official position "unless it is within a real democratic system".
    The military council has been governing Egypt since Hosni Mubarak was toppled less than a year ago after mass protests demanding accountability and democracy.
    The military council's opponents say it is seeking to preserve power and privilege in the post-Mubarak era. They doubt Tantawi's promise to surrender power to civilian rule at the end of June.
    Tantawi's diplomatic mission to Libya is his first since the end of parliamentary elections in Egypt. Officials say the general plans more diplomatic missions in the region.
    There has been speculation that the army chief might run for the office of president, effectively extending the army's grip on power. A campaign backing him for president was launched in October. Tantawi has denied any such plan. The military council says it has no interest in government and is working to move Egypt towards democracy.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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