Bloomberg quoted Libyan officials as saying that the Government of National Accord agreed to release the two Russians who have been in its custody for more than a year, on charges of espionage and an attempt to interfere in the upcoming elections.
Four officials familiar with the negotiations confirmed to the agency that the agreement was reached between Tripoli and Moscow last week, and two officials said that the prisoners may be released and return to Moscow within days, and Bloomberg indicated that the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement wasn’t announced yet.
The Russians had set the condition of releasing the detainees as a condition for improving relations with the Government of National Accord, and the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said last July that her country had obtained from the Government of National Accord written assurances that the issue of the two Russians detained in Tripoli would be resolved in the near future.
The security services of the Government of National Accord arrested the two Russians in July 2019, and there were conflicting reports about the reasons for the arrest, while the Minister of Interior in charge of the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bashagha, said that their arrest came on suspicion of their attempt to influence the municipal elections and gather information for the benefit of the national army. Bloomberg said that the two detainees met twice with Saif Gaddafi, with the support of officials in Moscow.
Earlier, the prosecutor’s office in Tripoli accused the two Russians of interfering in internal affairs and elections, conducting public activities in the country without permission from local authorities and security agencies, and going to sites that were prevented from visiting, according to TASS.
