Former Libyan prime minister released after being 'kidnapped in Tripoli'

A former prime minister of Libya has been released after being held for a week by an armed group linked to the country’s UN-backed government, sources said.  

Ali Zeidan, 61, had not been seen since the evening of August 13 as he was detained by armed men in at a Tripoli hotel. 

Mr Zeidan, a diplomat turned human rights lawyer, lived in exile in Geneva for three decades before returning to Libya after the overthrow of Muammar Gadaffi’s regime in 2011.

He served as prime minister in October 2012 but was forced out over his government’s failure to prevent a North Korean-flagged oil tanker loading oil from a rebel-controlled terminal two years later.

Relatives of Mr Zeidan told the Telegraph that he arrived in the capital at the invitation of Fayez-al-Serraj, the current prime minister, on August 11.

It was his first visit to Tripoli since being ousted as prime minister in March 2014.

“The trip was arranged by the presidential administration; he was met at the airport by a presidential delegation, and they changed his choice of hotel for what they said were security reasons,” said a relative of Mr Zeidan who asked not to be named.  

He was reportedly abducted by armed men from the Victoria Hotel in Tripoli shortly before leaving for a scheduled meeting with Mr Serraj on Sunday evening.

Relatives earlier told The Telegraph they believed Mr Zeidan is being held by the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade, a powerful local militia that emerged during the uprising to overthrow Gaddafi .

Representatives of the family said they had not received any ransom demands.

Mr Zeidan was briefly kidnapped from a hotel by a militia group in 2013, leading some to speculate that his abduction was a settling of old scores.  

"There has been  a powerful smear campaign against Mr Zedan as well as unclear allegations of corruption  or  squandering of public money," said Saleh el-Marghani, who served as justice minister in Mr Zeidan's cabinet. "The presence of Zeidan in Tripoli may have been too much for the uncontrollable militias to stomach." 

Tim Eaton, an expert on Libya at Chatham House, said: "The timing of Zeidan’s visit may be linked with a potential run at the presidency in elections which have been mooted for March next year, although it is far from certain that they will take place."

Zeidan Zeidan, the former prime minister's son, said he had "no idea" why the  brigade might detain his father. "This trip was a fact finding mission to work out how to get the country out of this mess. He wasn't saying 'I'm here to reclaim my throne,' or something," he said.  

Colleagues of Mr Zeidan said two earlier abduction attempts had been prevented by hotel guards, and that the kidnappers showed up in force on Sunday evening.

Haitham Tajouri, the commander of the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade, nominally supports the Government of National Unity that Mr Serraj heads.

The GNA has attempted to incorporate Mr Tajouri and his militia into Tripoli’s security apparatus but it is not clear what, if any, control Mr Serraj has over the group. 

Reports in Libyan media suggested the TRB may have been acting on a warrant issued by Sadiq al-Sour, the Libyan attorney general, apparently relating to allegations of financial misconduct when he was in office.

However Zeidan Zeidan said he had been assured by the attorney general there was no warrant and no court case had been brought.

"If there was a warrant, it would have been an arrest, not a kidnapping," he said. 

Mr Serraj’s office did not respond to emailed questions on Tuesday. Repeated calls to his press office went unanswered.