Libyan embassy calls for release of cleared detainee

The Libyan Embassy in Ankara has escalated its diplomatic engagement to secure the release of Libyan national Othman Al-Za’alouk, who has been held in custody by Turkish authorities for over a month in Istanbul.

The embassy has called for his immediate release following the findings of an official forensic report that confirmed his innocence of the allegations made against him.

In a detailed statement, the embassy revealed that a technical expert assigned by the Turkish Public Prosecutor’s Office had thoroughly examined Al-Za’alouk’s mobile phone. The expert’s report found no evidence whatsoever of photographs or video recordings, thereby definitively refuting the claims that led to his arrest.

According to the embassy, Al-Za’alouk remains in detention due to “procedural issues” linked to the failure of a reconciliation process, with the Public Prosecutor having been formally notified that no resolution was reached between the parties involved. His legal representatives are now awaiting a decision from the prosecutor’s office in light of these new findings.

The embassy confirmed that it has officially contacted the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging it to intervene directly with the Turkish Ministry of Justice and the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office. The aim, it stated, is “to ensure justice is upheld, and to lift the injustice inflicted on the Libyan citizen” by securing his release as swiftly as possible.

Othman Al-Za’alouk was initially detained in connection with an allegation—reportedly made by the mother of a Turkish child—claiming he had taken unauthorised photographs of her daughter. The recent forensic report has, however, cast serious doubt on the basis of that accusation.