Kingdom urges Libya to secure release of kidnapped Jordanians

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in a phone call on Tuesday with his Libyan counterpart Mohamed El Taher Seyala, urged the Libyan authorities to exert immediate efforts to secure the release and safe return of three Jordanians kidnapped in Libya last August.

The Libyan diplomatt revealed that the Jordanians had been held by one Libyan militia, but were then handed over to another, causing the delay in efforts to secure their release, affirming his country’s concern over the issue, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The Libyan authorities have since managed to locate the kidnapped Jordanians and referred their case to the attorney general to handle the investigation and secure their release.

Seyala added that he is personally following up on the case upon the recommendation by the head of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayez Al Sarraj.

Safadi urged the Libyan authorities to speed up procedures to “end this tragedy” and allow the safe return of the Jordanians to their homes.

The issue of the kidnapped nationals was raised during Sarraj’s visit to the Kingdom last November and Jordan has sent more than one official letter to the Libyan embassy in Amman demanding follow- up on the case.

The wife of one of the detained men in Libya has reported to the ministry’s operation centre that she had lost contact with her husband and his two friends on August 23 of last year, according to a previous ministry statement.