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Libyan Official: Haftar not Willing to Turn in ICC-Wanted Werfali

Field Marshal Haftar is commander of the Libyan National Army. Philippe Wojazer / Reuters
Field Marshal Haftar is commander of the Libyan National Army. Philippe Wojazer / Reuters
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Libyan Official: Haftar not Willing to Turn in ICC-Wanted Werfali

Field Marshal Haftar is commander of the Libyan National Army. Philippe Wojazer / Reuters
Field Marshal Haftar is commander of the Libyan National Army. Philippe Wojazer / Reuters

Libyan National Army Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar held his position refusing to hand over LNA Saiqa Special Forces officer Mahmoud Werfali to the International Criminal Court.

A Benghazi-based official advocated for Werfali’s innocence.

"Werfali is innocent of all charges, and the commander-in-chief will not hand him over to anyone," the official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The LNA Saiqa Special Forces officer has been put through interrogation concerning posed allegations, yet his involvement was not substantiated,” the official added.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Werfali, a commander in the Al-Saiqa Brigade, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.

"We have arrested Werfali based on reports we have received, but so far there is no concrete evidence. If these crimes are proven, there will be a trial and a conviction," Haftar said.

Haftar addressed the international community saying: "There are crimes being committed in Libya every day, so why are you focusing only on Werfali?"

A video posted by media outlets and on social networking sites in Libya in September showed Werfali overseeing the execution of 20 prisoners who were said to be fighting with “extremist groups” in Benghazi.

"Instead of the West lifting the ban on arming the Libyan army, which fights terrorists, it supports illegitimate parties," added Haftar.

ICC Prosecutor Bensouda said Werfali should be tried “for his direct participation in seven separate rounds of executions, in which a total of 33 people were murdered in cold blood in Benghazi or surrounding areas.”

"The ICC should focus on the arrest of those who killed and displaced men, women and children and who committed torture, murders and destructive acts in Libya," said LNA spokesman Milad al-Zawawi.

Last May, Werfali announced his resignation from the Special Forces, but it was rejected by the General Command. The following month, a UN panel of experts said he was involved in "managing secret detention black sites outside Benghazi."

In the same vein, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Amr Abul Atta, responded to the ICC’s request to extradite Wefrali, saying that "the Rome Convention provides that the international tribunal cannot consider (pending cases) such as Werfali Trial so long that Libya’s jurisdictional authority is covering the case.

Atta also called on the court to not show bias through singling out a Libyan faction while overlooking others.

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.