Tripoli prison suffers mass breakout
Description: Guard at entrance to al-Judaida prison
Al-Judaida prison has been at the centre of allegations of inmate abuse in
the past
More than 100 inmates have escaped from the al-Judaida prison in the Libyan
capital, Tripoli.
The prisoners are said to be of various nationalities and officials say
about 60 have so far been recaptured. It is not clear how the breakout
happened.
Al-Judaida is one of Tripoli's largest jails. Human rights groups accuse
officials of abusing inmates.
The mass escape comes less than a week before the first anniversary of Col
Muammar Gaddafi's death.
The head of Libya's national guard, Khaled al-Sharif, told the BBC that out
of the 120 inmates that escaped at least half have so far been captured.
He said that some were illegal African migrants imprisoned for immigration
violations and others were Libyans with criminal convictions.
Circumstances surrounding the prison break are unclear and officials say an
investigation is under way.
The national guard says it has set up checkpoints in the area to try to hunt
down the escaped prisoners.
Libyan jails are currently under the control of an array of different
military councils and brigades.
The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says prisons in the capital fall under the
authority of the justice ministry and are guarded, in theory, by the
ministry's police force.
However, Libya still lacks a comprehensive and organised public security
force following the conflict last year, she adds.
Earlier this year an attempted breakout from another prison in the capital
saw parts of that facility burned down.
Amnesty International described "widespread" abuses at the al-Judaida after
the ousting of Col Gaddafi.
The former Libyan leader was killed after being captured in his birthplace
of Sirte on 20 October last year.
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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