Libyan forces, based in the eastern part of the country, has released an army commander wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged extra-judicial executions, a military source said on Wednesday.
In August, the Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for Maj. Mahmoud al-Werfalli to face investigation over the alleged executions of 33 people in several incidents believed to have taken place between June 2016 and July 2017.
Al-Werfalli appeared in several videos purportedly showing him executing people allegedly linked to terrorist groups in the eastern city of Benghazi.
In late January, he said in a new video that he had surrendered himself to military police in response to orders from Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the military forces based in Libya’s east.
“The army’s general command has decided to release al-Werfalli,’’ the military source said.
There was no official confirmation yet of al-Werfalli’s release.
Libya has descended into anarchy since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Haftar allied administration, based in eastern Libya, is vying for control of the oil-rich country with an UN-backed government in the capital Tripoli. (dpa/NAN)