Libya’s Chief Prosecutor Orders Detention of Militia Leader Linked to Human Trafficker’s Death

In a significant development in Libya’s ongoing struggle against human trafficking, the country’s chief prosecutor has issued a directive for the detention of militia leader Mohamed Bahroun and one of his aides. This action comes in response to their alleged involvement in the assassination of one of Libya’s most infamous human traffickers, Abdel-Rahman Milad, last week in the capital city of Tripoli.

Milad, who was among the most-wanted figures in Libya, had previously been sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council for his role in human trafficking. He was known for commanding a coast guard unit based in the western town of Zawiya and had a notorious reputation, having been accused in a 2017 UN security report of deliberately causing migrant boats to sink using firearms. Milad was shot while seated in a chauffeur-driven vehicle in Tripoli, marking a violent end to a controversial figure.

Often referred to by his alias “Bija”, Milad’s criminal activities were not unknown to authorities. He was arrested in 2019 after being located at a meeting in Sicily attended by Italian officials and a delegation from the Libyan coast guard. This meeting was organized to discuss strategies for controlling migration flows from Libya to Italy, particularly in light of a contentious agreement signed in 2017 between the Italian interior minister and Libya’s then-government. This deal promised enhanced cooperation between the Italian agencies and the Libyan coast guard in exchange for funds and equipment, including four new patrol boats, aimed at intercepting migrant vessels and returning them to Libya.

Critics have raised eyebrows at Italian intelligence’s failure to recognize Milad’s presence at the meeting, leading to speculation that authorities may have been aware of the connections between human traffickers and the Libyan coast guard. Notably, Italian journalists Nancy Porsia and Nello Scavo pointed out this alarming oversight, suggesting that Milad had previously threatened to expose the collusion between human traffickers and Libyan officials.

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Following his arrest in 2020, Milad was released in 2021 and even promoted from captain to major within the coast guard, despite consistently denying any connections to human trafficking. He managed to operate freely in western Libya for two years after his release. Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the European Union, emphasized that the EU remains committed to urging Libyan authorities to hold accountable those involved in human trafficking, including Milad, who was also sanctioned by the EU in 2018.

The EU has collaborated with Libya’s coast guard in efforts to curtail migrant crossings; however, human rights organizations argue that this strategy frequently leaves migrants vulnerable to armed groups or confined in detention centers notorious for human rights violations. In a recent analysis posted on X, the head of the Sadeq Institute, a Libya-based think tank, stated that Milad had “turned rescue into ransom.” Anas El Gomati claimed that “the most vulnerable intercepted in the Mediterranean were returned to Libya to be extorted in detention centers.” He further criticized that EU funds, intended to save lives, instead enriched those exploiting migrants. El Gomati’s allegations suggest that many migrants returned by the Libyan coast guard and subsequently placed in detention camps are coerced into paying money for their release.

Libya continues to serve as a critical transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe by navigating the perilous Mediterranean Sea aboard unseaworthy vessels. In a stark reminder of the ongoing crisis, the Libyan coast guard intercepted a boat carrying 64 migrants bound for Europe just days after a separate incident involving a capsized boat near Tobruk, which left 22 individuals missing.