This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
On Saturday, Libyan national Rida Fhel el-Boum was detained at Mitiga airport in Tripoli after arriving from Tunis, according to multiple sources cited by AFP on December 17, 2019.
The arrest has been described as a 'forced disappearance' by Mohamad al-Najem, head of the Libyan Centre for Freedom of the Press, who stated, "We still don't know what he is accused of... we are pursuing contacts to uncover information surrounding his illegal detention."
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) confirmed that Boum was arrested and detained by a Tripoli-based armed group after arriving from Tunis.
UNSMIL urged for Boum's immediate release, stating that he should be released "without delay" or appear "in front of a judicial authority".
However, the interior ministry at the Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli and recognized by the UN, denied any involvement in the arrest, attributing it to the intelligence services, an independent organ.
The ministry requested "explanations" from the intelligence services on the reasons for the "unacceptable" arrest.
Libya has been plagued by chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
