22 Syrian migrants detained in Libya go on hunger strike

At least 22 Syrian migrants detained for more than five months in Libya began a hunger strike Monday to demand their release, the Associated Press reported, citing a Libyan rights group’s statement

The group of migrants included three minors and have been held in a prison in the western town of Zawiya in appalling conditions, the group Belaady said in a statement.

They were detained in October in the town of Ajaylat, which is some 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of the capital of Tripoli, said activist Tarik Lamloum.

The migrants arrived in Libya last year on a flight by private Syrian airline Cham Wings which operates routes to eastern Libya, Lamloum said.

He added, “They entered the country legally and have all needed documents and stamps on their passports.”

They then moved to western Libyan where they were detained as part of a crackdown on migrants. A court in Ajaylat ordered their deportation after paying a fine of 600 Libyan dinars (around $125) each, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

The group, which visited them at the Correction and Rehabilitation Institution in Zawiya, known as Jodeddaim Prison twice this year, said the detainees have suffered from scabies and other skin diseases.

Belaady called for the release of the migrants from prison and that they not be deported to Syria, where civil war has raged for over a decade.

For its part, the Libyan government did not comment quickly on the rights activists’ request for comment on the incident.

E.M