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Libyan PM Ali Zeidan 'freed from captivity' Libyan PM Ali Zeidan freed from captivity
(35 minutes later)
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has been released, several hours after being seized by militiamen, say government sources. Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has been released hours after being seized by militiamen, the government says.
Mr Zeidan was taken from his hotel in the capital, Tripoli, by armed men in the early hours of Thursday morning. A former rebel group loosely allied to the government, the Revolutionaries Operations Room, had detained Mr Zeidan, saying they were acting on the orders of the prosecutor general.
A former rebel group loosely allied to the government said it had arrested Mr Zeidan on the orders of the prosecutor general. The justice ministry had denied this.
The justice ministry had denied an arrest warrant was issued. The militia was one of several groups angered by a US commando raid on Libyan soil on Saturday which seized senior al-Qaeda suspect Anas al-Liby.
Many saw US the raid as a breach of Libyan sovereignty amid growing pressure on the government to explain if it was involved.
'No warrant'
Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdelaziz told AFP news agency Mr Zeidan he had been freed, but added, "we have no details so far on the circumstances of his release".
A government spokesman quoted by official Libyan news agency Lana earlier said the prime minister was free and on his way to the office.
The prime minister had been captured in a raid on the Corinthia Hotel by more than 100 armed men.
The Revolutionaries Operations Room said it was acting on the orders of the prosecutor general in accordance with Libya's criminal code.
However, state-run National Libyan TV quoted Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani as saying that the prosecutor general had issued no warrant for Mr Zeidan's arrest.
The Revolutionaries Operations Room is one of a number of militias operating in Libya - they are nominally attached to government ministries but often act independently and, correspondents say, often have the upper hand over police and army forces.
The government has been struggling to contain these militia, who control parts of the country, two years after the revolt which overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
In a press conference shortly before the release was announced, the government condemned the "criminal act" of his detention and said it would not give in to "blackmail".