Libya hands death penalties to 23 Islamic State affiliates

A court in Libya handed down sentences to individuals involved in a violent campaign carried out by the Islamic State (IS), resulting in 23 people being sentenced to death and another 14 receiving life imprisonment. This campaign involved the beheading of a group of Egyptian Christians and the capture of the city of Sirte in 2015. According to a statement from the Attorney General’s office, one person received a 12-year prison term, while six others were sentenced to between 6 and 10 years, one person to 5 years, and six individuals to 3 years. Additionally, five individuals were acquitted, and three others passed away before their trial. The Libyan branch of IS became a significant stronghold for the militant group, operating beyond its original territories in Iraq and Syria. It capitalized on the chaos and conflict that ensued after a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. In 2015, the group launched an assault on the luxurious Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, resulting in the deaths of nine people. They then proceeded to abduct and behead numerous Egyptian Christians, showcasing these gruesome executions in propaganda videos. After gaining control over Benghazi, Derna, and Ajdabiya in eastern Libya, IS seized the central coastal city of Sirte. They held control over Sirte until late 2016, imposing a harsh regime of public morality and implementing brutal punishments. Mustafa Salem Trabulsi, the leader of an organization supporting families who lost loved ones to the group or experienced disappearances, expressed his initial desire for all the suspects to receive the death penalty. However, he acknowledged and accepted the final outcome of the trial. “My son is missing and my relative, my brother-in-law, was murdered in Sirte Square,” he said. Speaking in court on Monday, Fawzia Arhuma said she welcomed the death sentences after her son was killed by the group at a power station near Sirte. “Today my son raised my head. Today I buried my son,” she said. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.