His brother, Dr Idriss Aboufaied, is meanwhile still hospitalized since April 6 in the Sabrata Hospital, near Tripoli. His appearance before the Revolutionary Security Court's on May 13, 2008, had been postponed until June 10, 2008. His lawyer mentioned his probable liberation for medical reasons.

Juma Aboufaied was detained incommunicado for more than 15 months during which the authorities have refused to recognize his arrest which was without any doubt linked to his alerting Alkarama and Libyan media abroad a few moments after the arrest of his brother Idriss .

However, we are still without news of Abdelrahman Al-Gteewi, another Libyan citizen arrested the same day under the same circumstances. The Libyan authorities refuse to communicate on his fate.

ALKARAMA had appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, jointly with the Swiss organisation TRIAL, regarding the case of the Aboufaied brothers in a Communication dated April 7, 2008, calling for urgent measures of protection because of the dangers faced by the victims, and in particular the release of Juma Aboufaied.

The disappearance of Juma Aboufaied and his fellow Abdelrahman Al-Gteewi and their detention for more than 15 months, as wel as the torture they have obviously suffered, constitute international crimes and are a violation of international obligations of Libya who is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since May 15, 1970 and the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading since May 16, 1989.

While welcoming the release of Juma Aboufaied, ALKARAMA renews its call for the immediate release of his brother Dr Idriss Aboufaied and his emergency transfer in a specialized medical unit. We urge the Libyan authorities to also release Abdelrahman Al-Gteewi who was abducted by Security agents and detained for more than 15 months, and the 11 other peace activists arrested on February 16, 2007 and brought before a court of exception with no minimum guarantees for a fair trial.

These gentlemen are : Alhaji Jamal, Fareed Azway, Almahdi Hmeed, Assadiq Hmeed, Faraj Hmeed, Adel Hmeed, Ali Hmeed, Ala Adrisi, Assadiq Gashoot, Bashir Ahmad Alharis and Alabeedi.  They are obviously persecuted for the sole act of freely and peacefully expressing their political opinions.

(See also this communique )