MOSCOW: A group of 22 Russians, Ukrainians and Belarussians held in Libya for three years on suspicion of fighting for deposed ruler Muammar Gaddafi have returned home after being freed, Russia’s foreign ministry said yesterday.
But Libyan authorities said there had been no decision to free the men and they were looking into whether they might have escaped from jail.
The 18 Ukrainians, two Russians and two Belarussians were convicted to lengthy prison terms in 2012 by a court in Tripoli on accusations of being mercenaries, according to Russian media reports.
“All the Russians have returned home and are in good health. In equal measure this refers to the citizens of Belarus and Ukraine, for whom we fought no less persistently than for our fellow countrymen,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
AFP
