Libya’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ghariani, has denounced "attempts" by Justice Minister Halima Abdulrahman to facilitate the release of Abdullah Senussi, the former intelligence chief under Muammar Gaddafi, who is implicated in the Abu Salim prison massacre.

Speaking on Islam and Life aired on Tanasuh TV, the Mufti held the Government of National Unity responsible for the matter and called for Abdulrahman’s dismissal.

He accused the minister, nominated by the House of Representatives, of being aligned with Khalifa Haftar and failing to uphold justice regarding the crimes attributed to Senussi, which include the killing of hundreds of innocent people.

On January 13, the Ministry of Justice denied any formal decision to release Senussi. However, Fathi Terbil, a lawyer for the families of the Abu Salim massacre victims, claimed through trusted sources that a release order for Senussi is being prepared on health grounds.

Terbil warned in statements to Tanasuh TV that ignoring judicial processes, bypassing legal trial procedures, and disregarding the feelings of the victims’ families could lead to severe consequences.