Libya has arrested two people accused of torturing and detaining 263 irregular migrants to extort ransoms, the prosecutor general’s office said Wednesday.
“The public prosecution ordered the detention of two members of a criminal gang who deliberately restricted the freedom of illegal migrants,” it said in a statement.
The sub-Saharan migrants were “subjected to torture, cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment in order to force their relatives to pay a ransom,” the prosecution added.
Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
It remains split between the United Nations-recognised government of Dbeibah and a rival authority in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Smugglers and human traffickers have taken advantage of the instability since.
The case is being handled by the Criminal Investigation Department in Al Wahat, a desert region under the control of forces loyal to Haftar.
The prosecution said 263 migrants were detained, “forcing their families to pay $17,000 in exchange for the release of Somali migrants, and to pay $10,000 in exchange for the release of Eritrean migrants”.
Photos on social media showed emaciated sub-Saharan migrants bearing scars across their limbs and backs.
An accompanying statement did not provide the total number of the suspects, saying some of them were on the run.
It also remained unclear how many of the migrants were subjected to torture for ransoms.
Libya has long been criticised over the treatment of migrant and refugees, with accusations from rights groups ranging from extortion to slavery.
Situated about 300 kilometres (186 miles) from Italy, it is a key departure point for migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, risking perilous Mediterranean Sea journeys to seek better lives in Europe.
