A German charity has accused the Libyan coast guard of threatening its crew members who were rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, causing at least one migrant to drown. The German charity SOS Humanity, which operates the rescue ship Humanity 1, said the Libyan coast guard used violence and fired live bullets into the water during its "life-threatening intervention" on Saturday. A spokesman for the Libyan coast guard didn’t respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment. As part of the deal, the coast guard has intercepted migrants in Libyan and international waters and has returned them to Libya. In October 2022, another rescue group, Sea-Watch, said the coast guard threatened to shoot down its plane used to monitor the sea for smugglers and migrant vessels .

Source: Libya Today March 04, 2024 03:43 UTC