Haftar orders unconditional release of captured families

Head of the Libya National Army Khalifa Haftar has ordered the immediate and unconditional release of families detained during the liberation of the west of Benghazi.

Only those facing criminal charges will continue to be held, under his order.

The strongman’s move comes amidst national and international outrage following footage that surfaced after the recapture of the city showing the summary execution of prisoners and their bodies being paraded around the city.

The LNA has since confirmed that those guilty of “war crimes” will be arrested. A key suspect, Mahmoud Werfalli, is wanted for executing a total of four men in two separate murders in which he was film.

Benghazi House of Representatives member Jalal Al-Shweidi has demanded that Haftar and the army chief of staff Abdelrazak Nazhuri attend parliament to explain how the crimes had been permitted and what they were doing about them.