The media office of the Southern Liberation Operations Room has issued a statement condemning what it described as an indiscriminate raid on the homes of several members of the family of Bashir al-Sheikh, the Room’s political-wing figure, which resulted in the arrest of two of his brothers and their transfer to Benghazi — despite, according to the statement, neither having any connection to political activity or to their brother’s positions.

The raid, as described in the statement

According to the statement, the raid took place around 3 a.m., carried out by armed men the Room described as belonging to militias affiliated with Saddam Haftar. The operation, per the same account, was accompanied by violations of the sanctity of the homes and a campaign of intimidation against family members — including forcing them outside in their nightclothes and threatening a seven-year-old girl at gunpoint in front of her father.

The statement characterized the incident as part of a pattern rather than an isolated case, noting that the homes of “innocent and vulnerable” citizens had previously been subjected to similar violations because of relatives’ proximity to figures affiliated with the Southern Liberation Operations Room.

The Room’s position and the demands in the statement

The Southern Liberation Operations Room reiterated, in its statement, its categorical rejection of what it called a policy of targeting families and relatives over their political positions or kinship ties, holding the parties that carried out the raids “fully responsible” for the safety of those it described as innocent civilians who were taken away.

The Room demanded, according to the statement, that the reasons behind the raids be disclosed, that everyone detained without legal grounds be released immediately, and that the safety of all those affected be guaranteed. The details of the account in the statement could not be independently verified — it represents the position of one party in an ongoing armed conflict — and no official comment has so far been issued by the parties accused of carrying out the raid.

A separate documented arrest in Ghat

In a related development, the monitoring group Libya Crimes Watch (LCW) documented, on September 22, 2026, what it described as the arbitrary arrest of journalist Mustafa Khalifa al-Suhayra (38) and his brother Mohamed (41).

The organization said gunmen affiliated with what is known as the “Libyan National Army” raided the two brothers’ home in the al-Barakat area, south of the city of Ghat, and transferred them to Benghazi. It noted that the brothers’ fate remained unknown at the time of its report, with no further information available on the reasons for the arrest or the party formally holding them there.

Widespread reaction to al-Suhayra’s arrest

News of Mustafa Khalifa al-Suhayra’s arrest drew notable reaction across Libyan media and rights circles, with many expressing condemnation and disbelief over the circumstances of his detention.

Media activist Akli Chaka wrote in a comment on the case: “Like many others following the news, I received word of the arrest of the respected journalist and dear friend Mustafa Khalifa with great shock and disbelief, given what is known about his high moral character, humanity, calm demeanor, and respect for everyone — not to mention a media career throughout which he kept a clear distance from the political rivalries, polarization, and conflicts roiling the Libyan scene.”

He added: “But what later emerged about the circumstances of his arrest, and the humiliation and intimidation that accompanied it targeting members of his family at the hands of a group affiliated with the Internal Security Agency in Ghat, places the incident in an extremely serious context that cannot be passed over in silence or treated as a passing occurrence.”

He continued: “As I strongly condemn what Mustafa Khalifa and his family were subjected to in terms of intimidation and humiliation, I add my voice to those calling for his immediate and unconditional release, along with guarantees for his safety and that of his family members. Mustafa Khalifa, as everyone who knew him closely can attest, is a professional journalist and a person of good character, never known to have aligned with any political current or taken sides in any of the conflicts raging in Libya — which makes his arrest, carried out in this manner, raise serious and legitimate questions about its motives, causes, and justifications.”

Chaka’s comment adds a new dimension to the case, identifying the party behind the arrest as a group affiliated with the Internal Security Agency in Ghat.