Libyan delegation in Cairo

Hend Kortam
3 Min Read
Egyptians in Libya protested outside the Egyptian Embassy in Libya demanding that the Egyptian government hand over Libyan national Ahmed Qaddaf al-Dam. (AFP Photo)
Libyan Ahmed Kadhaf al-Damm (C), cousin of ousted Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, smiles as he escorted by policemen into the office of the Egyptian general prosecutor after being arrested in Cairo (AFP Photo)
Libyan Ahmed Kadhaf al-Damm (C), cousin of ousted Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, smiles as he escorted by policemen into the office of the Egyptian general prosecutor after being arrested in Cairo
(AFP Photo)

A Libyan delegation including a top judiciary official arrived in Cairo on Saturday.

The visit comes a few days after Egyptian authorities detained the wanted cousin of Muammar Gaddafi, Ahmed Qaddaf al-Dam.

The Libyan delegation will be discussing the possibility for Egypt to hand over Libyan figures including Qaddaf al-Dam for trial in Libya, state-run news agency MENA reported.

The Egyptian organisation for Human Rights condemned the possibility of extraditing Qaddaf al-Dam, saying that doing so would put his life in danger and run the risk of him not receiving a fair trial.

The Libyan embassy in Egypt has since suspended operations for over a week. Libyan Ambassador in Egypt Ashour Bourashed met with Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Aly Al-Asheery and discussed bilateral relations on Thursday.

Al-Asheery asked for a quick result of the investigations being conducted into attacks on Coptic churches in Libya. He also called for providing proper security for Egyptian Copts in Libya so that they would be able to practice their religion in safety.

The two officials also discussed preparing for a joint consulate committee as well as measures to facilitate the crossing of people and individuals through the Saloum border crossing on the Egyptian-Libyan border.

Three Egyptian delegations have recently gone to Libya, including a delegation representing the Egyptian prosecution.

The prosecution’s delegation was tasked with following up on investigations being conducted by Libyan authorities regarding the latest attack on a Coptic church in Benghazi, the detention of Egyptians in Libya and the death of Egyptian national Ezzat Atallah.

It visited representatives of the Coptic community in Libya, Libyan officials and Egyptian Copts detained by Libyan security forces on charges of proselytising.

Abuses against Egyptians in Libya have been frequently reported over the past couple of weeks, particularly against Egyptian Copts.

Following the death of Coptic Egyptian national Atallah while being interrogated by Libyan authorities for charges of proselytising, angery Egyptian protested outside the Libyan embassy in Cairo prompted it to suspend operations.

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