United Nations Sec Gen condemns kidnapping of Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya PM, who was later released

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the abduction of the Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan “in the strongest possible terms.”
At a news conference at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Brunei, Ban said he had discussed the incident with Tarek Mitri, his special representative in Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya .
“He is working very hard with – in close consultation with the Libyan government together with all key partners to ensure his safe release together with also to make sure that the political transition of Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya will continue as scheduled,” Ban said.
The United Nations Secretary-General spoke to the media just before reports were confirmed that Zidan had been freed.
He was released from captivity just hours after gunmen abducted him on Thursday at dawn from the hotel where he resides in the capital, Tripoli, according to the Libyan state news agency.
The brazen abduction – apparently in retaliation for the U.S. special forces’ raid over the weekend that seized a Libyan al-Qaida suspect from the streets of Tripoli – reflected the deep chaos together with lawlessness gripping Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Government Spokesman Mohammed Kaabar told the LANA new agency that Zidan had been “set free” together with was on his way to his office.
The brief report gave no further information together with details were unclear, but it appeared Libyan forces had intervened in some way together with that the abductors did not free Zidan voluntarily.
A militia commander affiliated with the Interior Ministry told a private Libyan television station that the prime minister was freed when members of a Tripoli-based militia stormed the house where he was held hostage.
Haitham al-Tajouri, commander of the so-called “Reinforcement Force,” told Al-Hurrah television that his men exchanged fire with the captors but that Zidan was not hurt.
He also said that Zidan was now in a safe place. His account could not be independently verified.
Zidan’s abduction reflected the weakness of Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya’s government, which is virtually held hostage by powerful militias, many of which are made up of Islamic militants.
Militants were angered by the U.S. capture of the suspected militant, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, together with accused the government of colluding in – or allowing – the raid.
On Tuesday, Zidan said the Libyan government had requested that Washington allow al-Libi’s family to establish contact with him.
Zidan insisted that Libyan citizens should be tried in their homeland if they are accused of crimes, stressing that “Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya does not surrender its sons.”

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