Several residents from Benghazi took to the street on Friday in front of Tebesti Hotel and called on the commander of the self-styled army Khalifa Haftar to reveal the fate of the kidnapped former mayor of the city Ahmed Al-Araibi.
Former Benghazi mayor and deputy spy chief of the east-based Interim Government Ahmed Araibi was kidnapped in Arid Lamloum, Benghazi, early this month.
The former mayor's family said then that during the abduction by "military men" in "30 military vehicles, the abductors beat the mayor and his son and then took them away to a place still unknown till today.
According to sources, Al-Araibi was kidnapped over accusations that he provided UN experts panel with information regarding the financial corruption in Benghazi, including documents proving Saddam Haftar guilty of a money heist at the Central Bank of the city.
Leaked documents on local media also show that Araibi was also accused of spying for Presidential Council's government, including Al-Mahdi Al-Barghathi - former defense minister and Faraj Egaiem, the deputy interior minister- in Tripoli with Benghazi military commanders.
Arebat tribe, the mayor's tribe, called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aqilah sales to probe the abduction of the former mayor.
"We condemn the storming into the house of the former mayor and the horrification of the civilians inside the house." The tribe said in a statement.
Al-Araibi is a very well-known figure in Tripoli. He was a mayor for the city in 2017 by the appointment of the military governor of the east Abdelrazik Al-Nathori. He was known for opposing certain decisions made by Haftar regarding Benghazi, hence resigning in April 2017.
