Libya postpones release of Muslim Brothers detainees

News reports in Libya said that the Libyan authorities had postponed the release of Muslim Brothers members detained by it, due Sunday. This, however, was due to reasons pertinent to special arrangements.

The news reports said that the al-Qathafi Foundation for Charity Associations establishment will organize a large celebration in Tripoli on the occasion of releasing the 84 detainees and this will be attended by Arab and Islamic figures and human rights organizations.

The official at the Libyan foreign media office Jum'a Balkheir attributed the reason behind the postponement to the coincidence of the event with important official activities in the country like the security conference for the "desert coast states", stressing that the release of the detainees decision is still valid and will be in a new date to be determined later.

He stressed that this operation comes in the framework of dealing with some internal issues stemming from moral and humanitarian considerations and coping with changes taking place on the international arena.

Worthy mentioning that the history of the issue of the Muslim Brothers date back to June 1998, when the Libyan authorities arrested 152 persons under the charge of being members of this group. In February 16. 2002, a court issued sentences on this matter that included death penalty on two of them and life imprisonment for 73, ten year imprisonment for other 11 and the release of 66 others.