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Tripoli - Libyan authorities said on Monday that Moammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam, reportedly set free by a militia at the weekend, was still wanted by a Tripoli court for a 2015 conviction.

Seif al-Islam, the second son and heir apparent of the late deposed Libyan dictator, was said to have been released on Friday by a militia group that controls the town of Zintan in western Libya.

The group, which had held Seif al-Islam for more than five years, said he had been set free under an amnesty law promulgated by the parliament based in the country's east during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

But the prosecutor general's office in Tripoli, where a rival UN-backed administration is based, said the amnesty could not apply to Seif al-Islam because of the severity of his crimes.

"Having been sentenced in absentia on July 28, 2015... (Seif al-Islam) is required to appear before the court," Tripoli prosecutor general Ibrahim Massud Ali said in a statement.

There was no independent confirmation of Seif al-Islam's release, which could spark further instability in a country already wracked by divisions and violence.

Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, cast doubt over his reported "liberation".

"This is the fourth time in a little bit more than a year that the news of Seif's liberation has spread," Toaldo told AFP.

"There is still no visual evidence of his liberation and even the term 'liberation' must be used carefully as he was already free to move within the city of Zintan," he added.

'Active return to politics'

Seif al-Islam's whereabouts remain a mystery and even his lawyer, Karim Khan, has declined to confirm or deny the militia had let him go.

In any case, said Toaldo, if the "liberation" of Gaddafi's heir apparent is confirmed it "would mark his active return to politics".

According to Toaldo, people close to Seif al-Islam had set up offices in several foreign capitals.

But he said Gaddafi's son "would be more easily protected either in the south or in cities like Bani Walid where both tribal and political allegiances are more closely aligned with him".

"His first goal (if he was indeed freed) could be to rally all the regime loyalists and tribal forces around him," he said.

Seif al-Islam had been held in Zintan since being detained in November 2011, just days after his father was killed in a NATO-backed uprising against his decades-long rule.

The Zintan militia, which opposes Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital, had refused to hand him over to authorities despite several legal cases.

A court in Tripoli convicted Seif al-Islam in 2015 in connection with attempts to put down the revolt and sentenced him in absentia to death.

He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

His reported release came with the North African country still rocked by infighting, with authorities in the east, reportedly allied with the forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar, refusing to recognise the GNA.

The prosecution statement did not confirm he had been set free and gave no indication of his potential whereabouts, and the GNA has not commented on his reported release.

Human Rights Watch called on Libyan authorities to track him down.

"Libyan authorities, who remain obligated to surrender him to the court (ICC), should urgently confirm whether he was released and disclose his current whereabouts," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East and North Africa director.

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'Freed' Gaddafi's son still wanted by Libya court: prosecutor - News24

Libya has accused NGOs operating in the Mediterranean of being complicit in the exodus of tens of thousands of migrants, claiming the humanitarian organisations are in direct contact with traffickers along the lawless coast of the North African country.

Humanitarian groups such as Medecins Sans Frontieres vehemently denied the allegations, as the deadly crossing claimed yet more lives at the weekend.

At least 10 migrants drowned after their boat capsized and up to 100 others were missing.

Eight bodies were found in a partially deflated rubber dinghy that was found drifting north of the Libyan coast, near the town of Garabulli, east of the capital Tripoli.

The boat was capable of carrying up to 110 people and the others are missing, presumed drowned. Two other bodies were found in a separate dinghy, as Italian and other vessels raced to save more than 1,600 migrants packed into nine rubber...

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Libya claims NGO boats in the Mediterranean are 'migrant taxis' - Telegraph.co.uk

Libyan coastguards drag a deflated rubber boat carrying the bodies of migrants after the craft sank off Garabulli, 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Tripoli, on June 10, 2017. Photo: Mahmud Turkia / AFP

GARABULLI - At least ten migrants have died after their Europe-bound boats sank off Libya's coast and some 100 people are missing, coastguard officials and aid groups said on Saturday.

Eight bodies were found on an inflatable craft that can carry up to 120 passengers, said Colonel Fathi al-Rayani, head of the coastguard in Garabulli, 60 kilometres east of Tripoli.

He estimated that "at least 100" migrants were missing.

The boat was spotted deflated off Garabulli, and the coastguard found the bodies inside, said an AFP reporter who accompanied them.

READ: 44 migrants, including babies, die in Niger desert

The Italian coastguard meanwhile said it had coordinated the rescue of 1,650 migrants off the Libyan coast, with aid groups involved in the operations saying two dead bodies were found on a dinghy.

Conflict-ravaged Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

The UN refugee agency has said around 61,250 migrants have reached Italy since the start of the year after crossing the Mediterranean, while nearly 1,800 more are dead or missing.

The Italian coastguard has said that more than 900 migrants were rescued off Libya on Thursday and Friday.

Libyan navy spokesman General Ayoub Qassem meanwhile told AFP that coastguards patrolling off Zawiya, west of Tripoli, on Friday intercepted five inflatables and two wooden boats with more than 570 migrants on board.

READ: Hundreds of migrants rescued in major operation off Libya

He said the boats were being escorted by five Libyans on a jet ski and two outboards, and that three of the men were apprehended.

"The migrants are Africans, Bangladeshis, Egyptians, Moroccans... and were delivered to the detention centre in Zawiya," Qassem said.

Intercepted or rescued migrants are often held in detention centres before being repatriated.

People traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya since the 2011 uprising deposed and killed strongman Moamer Kadhafi to boost their lucrative but deadly trade.

AFP

24 May 2017

A wooden boat carrying between 500 and 700 people was just 20 nautical miles off the Libyan coast when the accident happened.

22 May 2017

Integration to tackle the migration crisis, saying bloc members had not paid enough heed to Italy's warnings about the growing burden.

11 May 2017

Footage filmed by Sea-Watch, a non-governmental organisation, showed a Libyan coastguard vessel coming within metres of its own ship as it sped to stop the migrants.

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Ten migrants die, 100 missing off Libya - eNCA

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant warned US Congressmen and European Members of parliament during the 80th inter-parliamentary meeting of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue in Valletta that if the debacle in Libya is to be contained, there needs to be convergence between the US, Russia and the EU about what their respective legitimate interests in the area are, as well as convergence about the military doctrine that should be deployed in the defence of those interests.

The Maltese MEP, a member of Delegation for relations between the EU and the United States, addressed the working session onSecurity in the Mediterranean: counter-terrorism, migration, sea operations, Libya together with Rear Admiral Andrea Romani, Force Commander, EU NAVAL FORCE Mediterranean. The meeting was held in Malta because it is an established practice by which the committee is convened in the country which is running the EU presidency.

Members of the European Parliament and United States Congressmen issued a joint statement on recent political and economic developments, security in the Mediterranean and democracy support in third countries, among other pressing issues,reaffirming their commitment to continue to strengthen and deepen their relations.

The Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) aims at enhancing the dialogue between European and American federal Legislators, the European Parliament and the American Congress. The TLD is founded on the principle that EU-US relations go far beyond foreign policy or trade issues, and also involve other fields of legislation.

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The US, Russia and EU must converge on Libya - Alfred Sant - Malta Independent Online

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