Libyan rights group condemns killing of judge al-Jazwi

A Libyan human rights group has condemned the killing of a judge investigating last year's murder of a defected long-time aide to Col Gaddafi.

The Libyan Observatory for Human Rights said the National Transitional Council was responsible for the killing of Jumah Hasan al-Jazwi.

Mr al-Jazwi was shot dead on Thursday, on his way to a mosque in Benghazi.

He was investigating last year's murder of Gen Abdel Fattah Younes, who had defected from Col Gaddafi's regime.

In a statement the Observatory said that the National Transitional Council (NTC), which is administering Libya's transitional governance, was deliberately delaying uncovering the circumstances around Gen Younes's killing.

'Primary suspect'

Gen Abdel Fattah Younes was killed last July

After defecting, Gen Younes became a commanding rebel leader in the fight against Col Gaddafi, whom he had helped to power in 1969.

At the time of his murder in July 2011, there were reports that Gen Younes was viewed with suspicion because of his formerly close position to Col Gaddafi.

He was killed after he was issued a warrant for questioning and recalled to Benghazi from the front line in the city of Brega.

Varying accounts of how he was killed were then given by officials at the time, including by NTC leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil.

There have also been unverified reports saying that Mr al-Jazwi issued the warrant for Gen Younes's questioning.

Judge al-Jazwi was also a "primary suspect" in the death of Mr Younes, a spokesman for Benghazi's local council told news agency AFP.

The NTC has been trying to maintain stability in a country awash with weapons left over from the conflict last year.

Clashes between tribal groups and competing militias have plagued Libya since Col Gaddafi was toppled from power and killed.