CAIRO — A prominent Libyan journalist was detained by an intelligence body that's loosely allied with the U.N.-backed government, authorities said Monday. Intelligence agents arrested Reda Fhelboom at the airport outside the capital Tripoli after he arrived Saturday from neighboring Tunisia, according to the interior ministry of the Tripoli-based administration. Fhelboom is the founder of The Libyan Organization for Independent Media, which works to document rights violations against Libyan journalists, as well as to advocate for independent news media and to combat incitement of violence online. In a statement, the interior ministry denied playing any role in Fhelboom's arrest, and pointed a finger at the government’s intelligence services, asking them to clarify why the detainment took place.

Source: International New York Times December 16, 2019 18:22 UTC