(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Captain Fathi Al-Shatti, a senior executive for Libyan Airlines, was released from captivity on Wednesday.
Al-Shatti was in the captivity of his kidnappers for nearly two months before being released.
Earlier this year, Al-Shatti was able to escape another kidnapping attempt when one of the attackers was killed.
Details about Al-Shatti’s release remain unknown after a press conference that was supposed to take place on Thursday about the incident was canceled.
No information has been released about why the airline executive was kidnapped nor has there been any information shared about why he was released. Some rumors are saying that some security forces took part in the mission to set Al-Shatti free.
According to local news, there have been internal tension building up within the airlines staff members, some of whom have gone on strikes. At an executive level there has been power struggles as executives compete to be the chief.
Kidnappings have become common in Libya as frustrations regarding the economy of the North African country continue to rise.
The civil unrest after the 2011 uprising left the country, which had been under the corrupt leadership of dictator Muammar Gaddafi for over four decades, in absolute chaos and instability.
During Gaddafi’s rule, Libya’s judicial system was known for its corruption which prompted the Libyan people to take matters into their own hands by engaging in civil disobedience in the 2011 uprising. A precedent was set and Libyans became used to seeking their own retribution instead of relying on a judicial system in the face of increasing political turmoil and overall instability in Libya.