A Libyan court sentences 3 people to prison terms over human trafficking

CAIRO (AP) — A court in the Libyan capital sentenced three people to harsh prison terms on charges of human trafficking, in a first such ruling in a North African nation where migrants are routinely mistreated. The Criminal Court of Tripoli convicted the three of human trafficking, detaining, and torturing migrants, and extorting their families to pay ransom to release their relatives, according to a statement Friday by the office of Libya’s chief processor. The court sentenced one of the convicted to life in prison, while the other two received a 20-year term each, the statement said. Human traffickers have benefited from the instability in Libya and smuggled migrants through the country’s lengthy border with six nations. U.N.-backed human rights experts said in March there was evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed against Libyans and migrants in in Libya, including women being forced into sexual slavery.