The Libya Crimes Watch organization has confirmed the arrest of lawyer Munir Abeid in Benghazi by armed men affiliated with the Internal Security Agency. Abeid was reportedly taken to an unofficial detention facility at the agency’s headquarters in the Sidi Hussein area without any legal procedures.
According to the organization, Abeid, 56, was arrested on Thursday from his workplace on Al-Wahda Al-Arabiya Street in Benghazi. His arrest followed previous threats and attempts by the Benghazi Municipal Guard and unidentified armed men to demolish Al-Moheeb Law Firm building where Abeid works, despite the lack of any legal basis for such actions.
The organization underscored that the building is private property and legally protected under Law No. 3 of 2014 on legal practice, which guarantees the immunity of lawyers and their offices. It further noted that Abeid had filed a complaint before his arbitrary arrest with the Public Prosecutor in Benghazi and the South Benghazi Prosecution Office against the head of the Municipal Guard, Abdulmonem Al-Mahshash, accusing him of intimidation and restricting access for several lawyers to their offices in the building.
Libya Crimes Watch held the authorities in eastern Libya fully responsible for the safety and well-being of lawyer Abeid. It called for his immediate and unconditional release, urging the authorities to respect the legal guarantees provided to lawyers under national laws and international standards, which include the independence of the legal profession, the immunity of lawyers and their offices, and protection from harassment or persecution for carrying out their legal duties. It also called for legal action against those responsible for his arrest.
