The United Nations mission in Libya is "deeply concerned" about the abduction of senior government official Rida Faraj Fraitis, whom gunmen abducted in Tripoli last week, UNSMIL said in a statement on Tuesday.
The gunmen seized Fraitis and a colleague on 2 August following a visit to Libya's unified interim government (GNU)'s headquarters in Tripoli, according to the statement.
"The fate and whereabouts of both Mr. Fraitis and his colleague remain unknown and UNSMIL fears for their safety and security," said the statement.
Fraitis is chief of staff for the GNU's first deputy premier.
UNSMIL said it has documented a number of cases of illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of citizens, officials, journalists, civil society members and human rights activists in Libya in the past year.
“Under international human rights law, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are strictly prohibited as are abductions and kidnappings,” said UN special envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis, who heads UNSMIL.
UNSMIL urged Libyan authorities to fully investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
“Libya must end the entrenched culture of impunity in the country," Kubis stated.
