Maha Ellawati BENGHAZI – Libyan Minister of Justice Salah Margani denied that a detainee arrested in Benghazi had been tortured in the custody of the security services, and promised a full investigation into recent events in Benghazi, including the allegations of abuse. Speaking at a press conference in Tripoli, Margani said that “full investigations will take place Sunday into what happened in Benghazi, about the death of some of the city's dear sons, and that the issue of torture must be a part of these impartial judicial investigations.” He warned that any individual who is proved to have been “involved in any illegal activities will appear before the courts of justice.” Margani's statement came after videos of a national were posted on YouTube in which he shows what appear to be signs of abuse on his arms and legs. However, it has not been possible to verify the claims made in the video, and because of the poor quality of the video, it is impossible to tell when the wounds he shows were inflicted. It is understood that the person in the video was arrested over a week ago, possibly in connection with recent violence in the eastern city. Some reports have suggested that demonstrators who gathered outside the General Security Directorate in the Al-Hawari district may have come to call for his release after seeing the videos on YouTube. – Libya Herald
