The UN-installed Presidency Council (PC) has strongly condemned exhuming body of Benghazi Shura Council leader, Jalal Makhzoum, by Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled army and putting him on public display in Benghazi on Saturday.

“This is a criminal inhuman act committed by fighters identified themselves as the Libyan army forces in Benghazi,” the PC said in a statement on Sunday, demanding all tribes in the east, activists, politicians and media outlets to condemn the brutal act.

The Presidency Council made a U-turn regarding Dignity Operation and directly condemned its commander Khalifa Haftar for his calls for violence and bloodshed in Tripoli.

“We condemn the statements made by so-called the General Command and its leader Khalifa Haftar about his threats to enter Tripoli by force, which could cause bloodshed in the capital,” the PC statement reads, accusing Haftar of being eager for dictatorship which Libyans renounced in 2011.

Reacting to Friday protest at Martyrs’ Square, the PC deplored the racist and hate slogans raised by Dignity Operation supporters against Misrata people.

The Presidency Council statement came shortly after angry gunmen stormed its premises inside Abu Sittah Naval Base. The gunmen demanded the PC to retract its Friday statement and to announce its stance about Dignity Operation and its leader Khalifa Haftar.

On Friday, Khalifa Haftar supporters infiltrated a protest in Tripoli that was supposed to ask for an end of militias’ presence in Tripoli and started shouting racist and hate slogans against Misrata and its people. As a result, the protest was dispersed by gunfire into the air. Later, the head of PC Fayaz Sirraj issued a statement condemning the dispersal of protesters and said they ha the right to express themselves.

His statement was met with anger by Misrata Political Bloc and Misrata Municipality.