Haftar commander destroys company headquarters in Benghazi, threatens to kill owner

Libyan activists have circulated a video on social media platforms showing Mahmoud Al-Werfalli, a commander of General Khalifa Haftar’s militia, smashing into the headquarters of a car company in the eastern city of Benghazi, after storming it with his military force.

Al-Werfalli, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing war crimes, sent a video message to the company owner who lives abroad, threatening to kill him if he ever returns home.

“This is the fate of greedy merchants,” Al-Werfalli declared, accusing the company owner of selling auto parts to the army (eastern forces) at very high prices.

Libyan activists have denounced Al-Werfalli’s criminal behaviour in the absence of measures to stop him.

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The activists consider that the incident: “Reflects the absence of state institutions and the rule of law” in the areas controlled by Haftar’s militia.

On 15 August, 2017, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Al-Werfalli, accusing him of committing war crimes by carrying out six summary executions (without trial), during which more than 33 people were killed in different areas of Benghazi.

In September 2020, the European Union imposed sanctions on Al-Werfalli, after he was accused of committing human rights violations in Libya.