TRIPOLI // The cell walls of Tripoli's notorious Abu Selim prison are mute testimony to the yearnings of the Libyans held there by the Qaddafi regime.
Photos of Mecca, Al Aqsa, a palm tree, an SUV and an airplane lifting into the sky adorn one wall. On another, a rough hand-drawn map of North America, another of Asia.
With each photo and drawing, there is the inescapable sense of prisoners longing for ordinary life and the inspiration to endure. Then the true horror of the place is revealed. On the next wall, written with a shaky pencil, is a prayer and the words, "Save me."
In 1996, this prison was the site of an inmate rebellion crushed in blood, where Muammar Qaddafi's henchmen killed 1,200 prisoners and then buried them in the prison courtyard, where a dusty lawn and a huge white plastic tent now stands.
For the rebels, staking their flag on Abu Selim was a victory charged with symbolism. It was a February demonstration in Benghazi organised by families of the 1996 victims that sparked the revolt that drove Col Qaddafi from power.
Pictures of the victims of the massacre have been displayed everywhere in eastern Libya since the beginning of the uprising. Most of them were in jail simply for opposing the Qaddafi government.
On Wednesday, rebel forces seized the Tripoli neighbourhood of Abu Selim, one of the last residential neighbourhoods still under Col Qaddafi's control. Rebels fought hard to take control of the area. At a roundabout near the entrance to Abu Selim, about 20 corpses of regime fighters lay on the street decomposing.
Abu Selim prison was empty on Friday, littered with trash. The small cell doors were swung open. Inside, the inmates' laundry was still hanging on clothes lines, and straw mats were scattered on the floor, proving that prisoners fled in haste.
Zakaria Al Fitouri, 37, was one of the prisoners freed a few days earlier. He was arrested at the beginning of the uprising for his political activities. On Friday, he was helping rebels take away medical supplies from the prison's clinic.
"We were six in a very small room. The food was terrible and we were constantly insulted until Wednesday when the guards fled while the battle was raging around us and local residents came to set us free," Mr Al Fitouri said.
Inmates arrested for weapons possession at the beginning of the uprising suffered particularly harsh treatment.
"Force was used to extort information from them," said Nasser Saraj, a doctor arrested on June 7 for taking down a picture of Col Qaddafi from his hospital office wall.
Abdallah Matouk saw first-hand the massacre at Abu Selim, where he was held from 1991 to 2001. He was jailed, he said, for being too pious a Muslim when Col Qaddafi was at war with Islamists in the country.
The massacre, he said, came after some hundreds of inmates took control of the prison. They were convinced to go back to their cells in exchange for better living conditions.
Instead, guards re-entered the prison and opened fire.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science