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2019-11-21 Africa North
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Libya's Interior Minister: Russians arrested in Tripoli linked to Wagner Group
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[Libya Observer] The Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha has unveiled links between two Russians arrested for spying in Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
earlier this year and Wagner Group whose mercenaries are fighting for Khalifa Haftar
 ...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...
's forces in southern Tripoli.
Bashagha told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the Russian nationals were arrested in last July on suspicion of attempting to influence planned municipal elections and gather information on the military operations against Khalifa Haftar's forces, which are based in eastern Libya and backed by Russia, confirming that the Russians had confessed to the accusations.
The Washington Post reported a Western official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic issues, as saying that the Russian government was putting a lot of pressure on the Presidential Council's government leadership to free the two men, who the officials said were part of a broader effort by Moscow to assert influence in Libya.
Russian Foreign Ministry admitted that the two nationals were arrested in Tripoli and said they were trying to prepare for a meeting with Saif al-Islam Qadaffy, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court.
Bloomberg said previously that the detained Russians had met twice in the months before their arrest with Saif Qadaffy with support from Russian officials, saying Saif is believed to be seeking a political comeback.
The Russians were arrested with some laptops and USBs that prove they were working for a company that works to influence elections in African countries, including Libya. A third Russian national managed to leave Libya before the Libyan security forces had stormed his house, Bloomberg said.
Bashagha accused Russia earlier of trying to help Qadaffy loyalists to return to the scene in Libya.
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Posted by Fred 2019-11-21 00:00||
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File under: Arab Spring
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