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Gadhafi was released from the northwestern Libyan city of Zintan under a "General Amnesty Law" passed by Libya's House of Representatives, the Abu Bakr al-Sideeq militia said in a statement Saturday.

He has not been shown in public.

A close associate of Saif told CNN Gadhafi was released Friday but would not reveal Gadhafi's current location, citing security concerns.

Gadhafi is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

"The reported release of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi based on the Libyan parliament's 2015 flawed amnesty law does not change the fact that he is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity related to the 2011 uprising," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at HRW. "Libyan authorities, who remain obligated to surrender him to the court, should urgently confirm whether he was released and disclose his current whereabouts."

The House of Representatives -- based in the country's east -- is not internationally recognized.

However, in its statement, the Abu Bakr al-Sideeq Brigade said Libya's House of Representatives was the country's legitimate authority and it was releasing Gadhafi as a result of that parliament's amnesty.

"Based on that we have released Mr Saif al-Islam Moammar al-Gadhafi and he is free. We confirm that he left the city of Zintan on the 14th of Ramadan ... we call on all rehabilitation and correctional facilities to follow Zintan and release all the political prisoners who are included in the amnesty law."

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi's lawyer, Khaled ElZaidy confirmed Gadhafi's release, telling CNN: "He is free in a safe place in an undisclosed location in a Libyan city."

ElZaidy said that he expected Gadhafi to address the Libyan people.

"Unlike the different governments, the will of the people is where he gets his power from," the lawyer said. "He is protected by the Libyan people, the tribes and the people who are his incubator ... he is popular and there is no worry about him. In every part of Libya he is protected by the Libyan tribes."

ElZaidy said Gadhafi had been following developments in Libya during his captivity and that he wanted to work on reconciliation and fighting terrorism in Libya.

"His priority is to eradicate terrorism, to bring security then bring back life and economic prosperity," he said. "Any international organizations that want to combat terrorism, will find Saif Gadhafi. He will have a major role in bringing peace to Libya."

Gadhafi was once considered the heir apparent to his father, who ruled Libya for over 30 years.

Before the 2011 Libyan civil war, he was believed to be a moderate in comparison to his father.

But in 2011 the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged crimes against humanity during attempts to quash the revolution that led to his father's ouster.

Libyan authorities refused to hand him over, saying the court in The Hague did not have authority to try the case.

A trial was held in Libya's capital, with Gadhafi facing charges relating to attempts to suppress the revolution uprising, including the killing of protesters -- a crime punishable by death.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized the trial, asserting that it failed to meet international standards for fair trials.

CNN's Becky Anderson and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.

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Libya: Militia says Moammar Gadhafi son Saif al-Islam freed - CNN

Libya Herald

Militias continue to dominate and destabilize Libya: UN report Libya Herald A report by the United Nations has confirmed the extent to which militias in Libya still dominate the country in the absence of a regular army and police force. It highlights how militias are often motivated by power and financial reward rather than ... and more »

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Militias continue to dominate and destabilize Libya: UN report - Libya Herald

UN Libya Experts Panel final report reveals complex obstacles to LPA implementation Libya Herald The 299-page report summary says that the UN Panel's monitoring of the political transition in Libya has focused on the incomplete implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement in the absence of its endorsement by the House of Representatives.

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UN Libya Experts Panel final report reveals complex obstacles to LPA implementation - Libya Herald

The UN panel said its requests for information from the UAE had received no response. (Photo: Internet)

The United Arab Emirates assistance that violates a U.N. arms embargo has significantly boosted air power for forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, a report by U.N. investigators published on Friday said, according to what Reuters quoted.

Air power has helped Haftars eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) gain the upper hand since last year in Libyas conflict between rival groups vying for power, Reuters added.

The panel of experts which reports on violations of U.N. sanctions across Libya said Haftars forces had received aircraft as well as military vehicles from the United Arab Emirates, and had built up an air base at Al Khadim, Reuters indicated.

The annual U.N. report provides rare detail on the level of outside intervention in Libya, where foreign backing for rival armed camps is widely seen as having exacerbated conflict.

Fridays report said there had been a general increase in direct foreign support to armed factions in Libya, breaching a U.N. arms embargo imposed during the countrys 2011 uprising and tightened in 2014. Much of the section on recent transfers of materiel or other assistance was taken up by the development of the LNA air force and reports of UAE assistance, explained Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates have been providing both material support and direct support to the LNA, which have significantly increased the air support available to the LNA, it said, according to Reuters.

The panel said its requests for information from the UAE had received no response.

Reuters also said that the U.N. report included satellite imagery of Al Khadim air base, about 105 km (65 miles) east of Benghazi, between July 2014 and March 2017, showing a gradual build-up of infrastructure and aircraft, including drones most probably operated by the UAE.

The U.N. panel said it received information that attack helicopters were delivered to the LNA in April 2015. One Mi-24p helicopter was traced back to Belarus, which confirmed it had delivered four of the aircraft to the UAE in 2014, Reuters wrote.

It also published a photo of an AT-802i single engine plane which it said was based in eastern Libya. The plane, originally designed for agricultural or firefighting use, was repurposed in the United States for counter-insurgency and sold to the UAE, the report said, according to Reuters.

The panel said it had confirmed a delivery of 93 armored personnel carriers and 549 armored and non-armored vehicles to the LNA in the eastern city of Tobruk in April 2016. The personnel carriers likely included Panther T6 and Tygra models, both made by companies based in the UAE, the report said, and were delivered by ship from Saudi Arabia, Reuters added.

It said it had received information on further large deliveries of Toyota pick-up trucks and armored 44 cars to Tobruk in January and April 2017, on a ship that had passed through Port Said in Egypt, Reuters concluded.

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UAE violates UN arms embargo on Libya by providing air power aids for Haftar's forces in east Libya - Libyan Express

The process of harvesting apricot fruit began at agricultural lands belonging to the investment projects of the Man Made River Water Investment Authority in Tarhuna. The director of the project said that the project management team had begun to contract with dealers to sell the production of the project a few days ago and the process of harvesting apricot fruit is continuing successfully. The total area of the apricot fruit orchards are 15 hectares, while the total area of the agricultural land is estimated at 1200 hectares, of which 400 hectares are for growing grain, 421 hectares are olive trees, and 100 hectares are peaches, grapes, almonds and pears.

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The Italian news agency AKI reported that the head of the Sabratha Military Council, AlTahir AlGharabli confirmed the monitoring of ISIS movements in the south and west of Libya. AlGharabli explained, "The force that was monitored was comprised of 15 armed vehicles attempting to assemble," Stressing that the monitoring process "Came from citizens and through patrols of the Sabratha Military Council". AlGharabli concluded that the tracked forces were moving between the city of Nesma in the west of the country and the city of Mizda in the south, stressing, "His forces are ready in the event of attack."

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A powerful explosion rocked the residential area surrounding a garment factory in the eastern city of Derna. Sources from the city said that the explosion occurred inside the factory resulting in material loss and no casualties. There were no reports so far as to the cause of the explosion, whether it was deliberate or accidental.

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A member of the Board of Directors of the General Company for Desalination and the director of the desalination plant in Tobruk, Fathallah Naas, warned that desalination plants in Libya would cease to operate after two months. Naas added that the lack of second choices would result in the company having no choice but to shut down all plants having a major effect on approximately one and a half million citizens dependent on desalinated water. Naas clarified that the desalination plants had entered this dangerous stage because a lack of the availability of necessary and essential chemicals that are added in the process of desalination, the amount of chemicals would only cover another two months.

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The deputy Foreign Minister of the eastern government in Libya discussed with Philippine Charge d'Affaires Mardomil Silomilikor options to open a Philippine consulate in Benghazi. The two sides discussed the importance of Filipino employment in Libya, especially in the medical field as most of the Filipino workforce in Libya works in the health sector.

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The deputy Transport Minister of the UN proposed government, Hisham AbuShkiwat, stated that the Ministry is in the process of resuming the process of building a passenger terminal for domestic flights covering nine thousand square meters, and another for international flights that will span twenty two thousand square meters at the airport by contracting specialized Italian companies. Abushkiwat added that the Ministry envisions the return of air traffic to the airport when construction of the internal and external passenger terminal and other facilities is completed.

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The Education Minister Othman AbdulJalil met with the Director of the British Council, Tony Calderbank, and afterwards the Ministry announced on its Facebook page that the meeting discussed the development of the curricula and the training of teachers to improve their efficiency. The post added that other points discussed was the evaluation of educational projects that are still under implementation by the Council as well as future cooperation, noting that these discussions come within a series of meetings by the Ministry of Education in an effort to raise the level and quality of education in Libya.

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The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade announced that they have released more than thirty prisoners on Friday. According to a statement posted on their official Facebook page on Friday, the Public Prosecutor decided the inmates release after six years of detention. The Brigade included in its statement the names of six prominent military and security personnel during the reign of the former regime; they included Brigadier Naji Hareer who is one of the most prominent security leaders in the late Gaddafis era and also his relative. The prisoners were released after being arrested on various criminal charges.

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The Director of Bayda oil field, Fayez Furjani stated that oil production is gradually increasing after a complete halt for over three years. Furjani explained in a press statement that the production is expected to return to its previous output by the beginning of May next year 2018, and he felt that there is an ambition by the workers to reach the maximum production rates recorded. The oil field had been suspended for a long period of time due to security conditions that prompted the National Oil Corporation to impose the case of force majeure on twenty two fields, including the Bayda oil field.

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News Roundup - Sat, Jun 10, 2017 - The Libya Observer