Libya recovers 17 migrant bodies and rescues seven off Tobruk

Libyan coastguard teams have recovered the bodies of 17 migrants and rescued seven others off the country’s eastern coast, according to the Libyan Red Crescent.

In a statement issued last Wednesday, the organisation said a naval patrol carried out what it described as one of its most difficult field operations, targeting a group of migrants who had been stranded at sea for eight days off the coast of Tobruk in the far east of the country. The nationalities of those involved were not disclosed.

The Red Crescent said the rescue and recovery operation lasted eight hours in difficult conditions, adding that nine people remain missing. Survivors were provided with humanitarian assistance and emergency medical care in coordination with the UNHCR.

Figures from the International Organisation for Migration show that around 27,000 migrants were returned to Libya last year after being intercepted off its shores, while 1,314 people were reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 5,000 migrants have been returned to Libya after being stopped on boats attempting the crossing, while 781 have died at sea.

Libya remains a key transit point for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, who risk dangerous journeys across the desert and the Mediterranean in an attempt to reach Europe, often fleeing conflict and poverty.

In a separate development, a criminal court in Tripoli sentenced four members of what it described as a criminal gang in the western city of Zuwara to prison terms ranging from 12 to 22 years. The defendants were convicted of involvement in human smuggling, torture and kidnapping for ransom.

The ruling came a day after authorities announced the arrest of another group accused of transporting migrants from Tobruk towards the central Mediterranean on an unseaworthy vessel. The boat later sank, resulting in the deaths of 38 people, including Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian nationals.