Libya’s chief prosecutor has ordered the detention of a prominent militia leader and one of his associates in connection with the killing of a notorious human trafficker. The arrest comes after allegations surfaced regarding their involvement in the death of Abdel-Rahman Milad, a figure known for his role in smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean Sea.
Mohamed Bahroun, commander of the First Support Battalion and a powerful militia leader, along with one of his aides, surrendered to authorities following the accusations. The office of General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sour issued a statement late Saturday confirming the detention of both men, stating that they had been interrogated and presented with evidence linking them to Milad’s death.
Milad, who was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council and had been imprisoned in Libya on human trafficking charges, was shot and killed on September 1st while in his vehicle in the Sayyad area, located in the western part of the capital, Tripoli.
Both Milad and Bahroun hailed from the western town of Zawiya, where Milad commanded a notorious coast guard unit. Their rise to prominence occurred during the chaos that followed the NATO-backed uprising, which toppled and killed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has since been divided between two rival administrations, each supported by armed groups and foreign governments. Despite the turmoil, both Milad and Bahroun held government positions in the lawless western region of Libya.
Libya has become a major transit point for people from Africa and the Middle East escaping conflict and poverty, seeking to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. In June 2018, the Security Council imposed sanctions on Milad and five other leaders of criminal networks accused of engaging in human trafficking. A UN report described Milad as the head of a coast guard unit in Zawiya that was repeatedly linked to violence against migrants and rival human smugglers.
UN experts monitoring sanctions alleged that Milad and other coast guard members were directly involved in sinking migrant boats by opening fire on vessels attempting to cross the sea. Migrants intercepted by the coast guard were often held in government-run detention centers notorious for human rights abuses.
UN-commissioned investigators reported that these detention centers were plagued by practices amounting to crimes against humanity, including extortion attempts against families of detained migrants in exchange for their release or permission to leave Libya on traffickers’ boats destined for Europe.
Milad had denied any involvement in human smuggling, claiming that traffickers wore uniforms similar to those of his men. He was imprisoned for approximately six months between October 2020 and April 2021 on charges of human trafficking and fuel smuggling. The recent detention of the militia leader and his associate in connection with Milad’s death underscores the ongoing challenges Libya faces in addressing the widespread human trafficking crisis within its borders.
