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Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli. Undated and unlocated photo published on August 15, 2017 by the International Criminal Court (AFP)
A Libyan commander wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes has escaped from prison, the Eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar's forces said on Thursday
In a statement, the Libyan National Army (LNA) self-denomination of Haftar said that the commander had ordered the re-arrest of Mahmoud al -Werfalli after his escape
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The ICC issued the first warrant for the arrest of Werfalli last August, accusing him of ordering or personally executing the executions of 33 prisoners between March and July 2017 and in June 2016 which have been filmed and broadcast on social networks.
On July 5, the ICC issued a second arrest warrant against Werfalli for "alleged responsibility in the murder of the accused".
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ICC Prosecutor Urges Libyan Authorities The accusation of war crimes against Werfalli is based on seven separate incidents of executions that have been documented in seven separate video sequences included in the mandate of the ICC.
The arrest of Werfalli in August, the LNA announced that she was investigating him and detained her, although her fate remained unclear.
Since then, Werfalli is still at liberty. In January, new footage showing that he was executing summary executions came into being.
The footage appeared to show executions taking place in front of Bayaat al-Radwaan mosque in Benghazi, after a double bombing killed at least 37 people on 23 January.
Rogue Commander
Born in 1978, Werfalli is a commander of the Al-Saiqa Brigade, an elite unit that deserted the Libyan Army during the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed the Long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi
Werfalli then fought on the same side as the LNA and its leader Haftar, who refuses to recognize the authority of a UN-backed government based in Tripoli and support a parallel administration in eastern Libya.
In February, Werfalli said in a video posted on his Facebook account that he had gone to the LNA military police after the ICC had issued his first arrest warrant. This information could not be verified independently.
Forces loyal to Haftar reported last August that they had arrested Werfalli and declared that they had been "investigated by the military prosecutor general". Fatou Bensouda repeatedly called for the arrest of Werfalli, including asking Haftar to hand him over during a speech to the UN Security Council in November 2017.
She has also called for the arrest of Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam security chief al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled for alleged war crimes.
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