TRIPOLI — Reporters Without Borders (RWB) has added its voice to calls for the release of newspaper editor Amara Hassan Al-Khatabi, who has been in prison for over three months. Al-Khatabi is accused of defamation of members of the judiciary, after printing a list of 84 judges allegedly involved in corruption, in the privately-owned Ummah (Nation) newspaper. The 67 year-old has been detained in a military prison since Dec. 19, following the publication of the list on Nov. 21. RWB, which promotes freedom of information and freedom of the press, says Al-Khatabi has been denied access to his lawyer. Al-Khatabi's trial started in February but has repeatedly been postponed. The France-based NGO pointed out that the General National Congress should comply with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Libya ratified in 1970. RWB said that there also are concerns about Al-Khatabi's health in prison, as he suffers from a number of conditions, including diabetes. The Libyan Human Rights Observatory and Amnesty International have also called on the GNC to release Al-Khatabi. Last month, Justice Minister Salah Marghani said he had asked the Attorney General to release Al-Khatabi on bail, although this has yet to happen. — Libya Herald
