Gryshchenko: Ukraine to defend rights and interests of its citizens arrested in Libya

Ukraine will defend the rights and interests of its citizens detained in Libya on charges of assisting the regime of ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko has said. The press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported on June 4 that according to Libyan law, a respective appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the court ruling, therefore, the ruling had not yet put an end to the case of the Ukrainians in Libya.

"According to my instructions, Ukrainian diplomats in Tripoli have already reached agreement with the defense lawyers of the Ukrainians regarding the submission of an appeal at the Supreme Military Court of Libya," the ministry’s press service quoted Gryshchenko as saying.

As reported, a military court in Tripoli has sentenced 19 Ukrainian citizens to 10 years in jail for assisting the ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime.