Haftar affiliated militia dissolved after release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi

The Commander of the Western Military Region of retired General Khalifa Haftar’s forces, Col. Idris Madi, has issued a decree to dissolve the Abu Bakr Siddiq Battalion just two days after the release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late leader Muammar Gaddafi.

A statement issued yesterday said the battalion had been dissolved and its personnel, equipment, vehicles and weapons had been integrated into the headquarters of the Western military zone.

The battalion announced on Saturday that it had released Saif Al-Islam, explaining that his release was decided as part of a recent pardon issued by the Libyan parliament based in the country’s eastern region.

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Commenting on the release of Saif Al-Islam, the National Defence and Security Committee of the House of Representatives addressed the prison authorities in a statement saying: “We draw your attention as officials responsible for prisoners of the former regime that you are not entitled to release any of them until the issuance of clear verdicts against them or once they have been acquitted of the charges against them.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has been demanding Libya extradite Saif Al-Islam to stand trial for crimes against humanity during the revolution that overthrew his father’s rule in 2011.