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On December 1, 2023, "Gaza Now," a pro Hamas media outlet, reported on its Russian language Telegram channel that Libya had released four Palestinian detainees who were accused of Hamas membership in 2019. The channel noted that the four men had been "previously arrested at the request of the United States on charges of belonging to the Hamas movement, and smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip in 2016.[1]
The channel continued: "In solidarity with the Gaza Strip, and in support of the Palestinian resistance, Libya releases four Palestinians previously arrested at the request of the United States on charges of belonging to the Hamas movement and smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip in 2016. They arrived in Istanbul quite recently. on a private Turkish private jet."
The post featured a photo of three of them sitting aboard a private plane.
RT Arabic: Turkey Brokered Their Release
On the same day, a report by the Russian state-owned RT Arabic identified the four Hamas members as:
Marwan Abd Al-Qadir Al-Ashqar, who was born in Gaza;
Nusib Muhammad Shabir, who was born in Tripoli, Libya's capital;
Mu'ayyad Jamal Abid, who was born in Misrata, Libya.
Bara' Marwan Al-Ashqar, who was born in Benghazi, Libya.
RT said that they all had been held for eight years in a prison facility in Tripoli, adding that Turkey had negotiated their release.[2]
[1] Telegram, December 1, 2023.
[2]Arabic.rt.com/middle_east/1517337-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8, December 1, 2023.
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