Libya frees prisoners to stem spread of coronavirus

Libya said it will release more than 450 prisoners in bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus that has infected at least eight people in the country.
The justice ministry of the internationally recognised government – GNA on Sunday said in a statement that officials decided “to free 466 detainees from correctional facilities” in the capital, Tripoli. It added they were in pre-trial detention or had qualified for conditional release.
Human Rights Watch welcomed the move as a “positive first step”, but said “authorities should do more to mitigate the risks of a major COVID-19 outbreak”.
Last week, the health minister confirmed the country’s “first contamination”, a man who had arrived from Saudi Arabia via Tunisia on March 5.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to protect civilians in conflict zones during the pandemic. He warned that if the fighting goes on, we might have an “absolutely devastating spreading of the epidemic”.
Both the GNA and the rival LNA government have taken preventative measures against the spread of the virus, including closing schools, some businesses, markets and even private clinics. On Sunday, the GNA announced an extended curfew from 2pm until 7am starting from Monday.