Argentina’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed receiving information regarding the detention of two Argentine nationals near Sirte; María Paula Jiménez and Lucas Ezequiel Aguilera, as part of a group that also includes eight other individuals of various nationalities.
The Ministry said that, through its embassy in Tunisia, which is accredited to Libya, it has initiated contacts with the relevant authorities to verify the information and determine the detainees’ status in preparation for securing their release.
Haftar forces have not officially disclosed the identities of those detained or their whereabouts. However, sources described as reliable indicated that two Libyan citizens linked to the case are currently being held in Benghazi.
As part of its consular efforts, the Argentine embassy requested the assistance of the Italian embassy in Libya, taking advantage of Italy’s consular presence in Benghazi.
The Italian consul was able to visit the Italian detainees but was not permitted to meet the Argentine nationals. Security authorities, however, responded positively to his request to improve detention conditions.
In late May, the Libyan Coalition announced the detention of ten participants in an international aid convoy bound for Gaza. The group included nationals from nine foreign countries and one Arab country after they passed the 5+5 security checkpoint toward Sirte.
