A South African court has postponed the trial of 95 Libyans to August 5th, while keeping them in custody following their arrest at a suspected military training facility.
Yesterday, South Africa’s “Eyewitness News” aired a report on the reasons for postponing the trial of the 95 Libyans and the judge’s decision to continue their detention. The Libyans were crowded into a small courtroom and were charged with violating immigration laws and entering the country with forged visas.
The report noted that only three of the 95 Libyans could speak English. Due to the absence of an Arabic translator, the court had to postpone the case for a week.
Judge Eddie Haas told the Libyan detainees during the session, “We are reviewing your case properly, so I will grant a postponement until August 5th, 2024, to provide an Arabic translator and then proceed with the legal examination. You will all remain in detention until then.”
South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs had canceled the Libyan detainees’ visas after confirming their violation of immigration laws and entry with forged visas. They had initially decided to release them on bail but later announced their intention to oppose it.
“Eyewitness News” quoted Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Authority in Mpumalanga, saying, “The accused in this case face charges of visa application fraud. When they left Libya, they came here to study in South Africa, but were found receiving military training.”
The court decided that the accused should not be released, as they do not have fixed addresses and the only place they can stay is in custody. As the accused are foreign nationals, the state will oppose their release.
The court explained that the Libyan defendants now need lawyers to defend them, leading to the case being postponed for further investigation and to allow them to obtain legal representation.
