Libyan courts
About 38 people in Libya have been jailed for human trafficking that caused casualties when boats capsized.
A Libyan court sentenced five people to life in prison after they were convicted of human trafficking over the deaths of 11 migrants and refugees who were on a rickety boat trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
In the city of Bayda, the court pronounced its verdict on Monday, according to a statement from the office of General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sourr. Nine other defendants were sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment each, while an additional 24 suspects received a one-year jail term.
These individuals were implicated in a network involved in smuggling people from Libya to Europe, as stated in the announcement. However, no specific information regarding the demise of these defendants or further details were provided.
This court ruling represents the latest effort in Libya to combat human traffickers. Recently, the chief prosecutor’s office disclosed that in the capital city of Tripoli, another court sentenced one defendant to life imprisonment, while two others received a 20-year sentence each for their involvement in human trafficking.
In recent years, Libya has become a significant transit point for individuals fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and Africa, as they aspire to find better opportunities in Europe.
The country’s descent into chaos occurred after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, leading to the downfall and death of long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Exploiting the instability in Libya, human traffickers have taken advantage of the situation, engaging in the smuggling of people across borders from six nations, including Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan.
These smugglers typically cram desperate individuals into poorly equipped rubber boats and other vessels, exposing them to the dangers of a perilous journey across the Central Mediterranean, primarily aiming to reach Italian shores located 290km (180 miles) to the north. This route is considered the deadliest migratory sea route in the world.
For years, the United Nations and various human rights organizations have condemned the inhumane conditions faced by those trafficked across the Mediterranean by these criminal gangs, as well as the appalling treatment experienced within state-run detention centers in Libya.
20,000 Pakistanis are still in Libya waiting to travel to Italy: Usman
Still 20,000 Pakistanis in the safe houses of human traffickers in Libya who are waiting for their turn to travel to Italy by sea.
Hence, they are waiting for their “journey towards death” from Libya to the coast of Greece.
Usman Siddique, a police official from Gujrat, made this stunning disclosure while talking to the media in Gujrat, Pakistan. Usman, who survived the Greece boat tragedy, has reached Pakistan.
He got one year’s leave from the Punjab police department and reached Libya through human traffickers. Usman paid a huge amount of money to the agent, involving at least 2.5 million rupees. Some individuals paid up to 3.5 million rupees each to human traffickers to reach Italy from Libya.
He told the media that thousands of Pakistanis are stilling in the safe houses of the agents in Libya.
“If timely efforts were not made to rescue them, we should expect more tragedies soon,” he added.
Usman Siddique is among 12 Pakistanis who were lucky to survive the boat tragedy. He has returned to his hometown Kaleki village in Gujrat city, about 80 km from Lahore.
Usman said that the boat was carrying 700 people including 350 Pakistanis. Most Pakistanis belonged to Gujrat, GujraÂnwala, Mandi Bahauddin, and Azad Kashmir regÂions. He claimed the boat had been stranded at sea for several hours after it went off course.
Around 12 hours before the tragedy, a helicopter took pictures and flew away, he added.
Moreover, a cargo ship also stopped near the boat on the same day and its crew gave water bottles and bread to people on the boat.
“Another ship arrived at the scene and towed our boat with a rope. However, as soon as the ship pulled the boat, it started breaking up.”
“A hue and cry started there as people were drowning. Some held on to the rope after falling off and they remained alive”, Mr Siddique said.
A tourist ship arrived early in the morning and shifted 100 people to the shore.
