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The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed concern over the disappearance of a senior official in the provisional government who was abducted last week by unknown gunmen.
Rida Faraj Fraitis, the Chief of Staff for the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), and an unidentified colleague were kidnapped on August 2 in the capital, Tripoli, and have not been found to date.
"The Mission expresses further concern about individuals who have taken on roles in support of Libya's democratic transition and State institutions being targeted in this manner which has serious implications for the peace and reconciliation process and for the full unification of national institutions," UNSMIL said in a Tuesday statement.
The Mission said it has documented a number of cases of illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of citizens, officials, journalists, civil society members and human rights defenders in the past year.
The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNSMIL, Ján Kubiš called on Libyan authorities to investigate the alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
"Under international human rights law, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are strictly prohibited as are abductions and kidnappings," said Kubiš.
Libya's interim government has been in office since March, tasked with leading the war-torn North African nation until elections later this year.
The country descended into chaos in 2011 following the 2011 ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi’s death left a power vacuum that rival administrations battled to fill.
A United Nations-supervised process is aimed at uniting the country, with the target of holding a national election on December 24.
