By Houda IbrahimPosted on 30-07-2019Modified on 30-07-2019 at 14:19

Two Russian nationals have been detained since May 17 in Tripoli, home of the Government of National Unity (GNA) led by Fayez Al-Sarraj. They are accused by the GNA, to intervene in Libya and want to "influence the course of the next elections". They were arrested shortly after meeting Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi. For several weeks, all parties involved in the arrest remained silent. Russia admitted on July 8th this information first revealed by the American news site Bloomberg. But the case remains ambiguous and is clearly linked to the ongoing struggle for influence in Libya.

On Monday, July 8, 2019, the Russian Foreign Ministry announces that it seeks " the reasons and circumstances of this incident " without further details. The Libyan Foreign Ministry says the case is in the hands of the Attorney General in Tripoli, that the Russians are suspected of carrying out espionage activities: " They were arrested in the center of Tripoli while they were probing people on the next elections. " They are trying to influence the elections, " even a Libyan security source told RFI.

Presidential and parliamentary elections were due to take place in Libya before the end of the year, but they had to be postponed because of the security situation in the country. No new date has yet been set.

Two Russian pollsters?

Who are the Russians arrested? These are Maxim Shu Galle and Samer Hassan Swaifan. The first is a sociologist and political advisor. The second is a Russian sociologist and translator of Arab origin. A third man, Alexander Prokoviev, also a sociologist, was able to leave Libya. The three men work for the Russian Foundation for the " Protection of National Values ", headed by Alexander Malkevich.

The three men were part of a team of fifteen people who entered Libya last March. " Legally to do research " in several cities in the country, says the director of the foundation.

Alexander Malkevich assures that the two Russians are "highly qualified researchers"; he understands that they were " tortured and detained in inhumane conditions " and that they were interrogated by US agents. He calls on the international community to release them.

This version of events is partially taken up by the Libyan News Agency (APL), an independent agency that also reports the presence of US agents during interrogations.

Several US officials and spokespersons contacted on the subject at the embassy in Tunisia who manages Libyan affairs did not wish to react. An official in Washington said she was unable to respond, given the number of US agencies active in the region, and refers to Africom , the structure responsible for US military operations in Africa, which has its own communication.

These men, presented as researchers, yet had a special contact with the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam. A few days before their arrests, these Russians had met Gaddafi's youngest son in Zentan. They are the only strangers to have done it.

Saif al-Islam does not hide his willingness to run in the upcoming presidential elections, even if he lives in hiding and never appears in public since his release in June 2017 .

In recent months, Saif al-Islam has had several indirect contacts with the Russians. At the beginning of December, he sent emissaries to Moscow , who met with officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry. They were in charge of sending a letter about his vision for a way out of the crisis in Libya.

Saif al-Islam had received, in response, the support of Mikhail Bogdhanov, the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Russian Special Envoy to the Middle East and Africa. Already in November, at the Palermo conference on Libya, the head of the Russian contact group with Libya had supported Saif al-Islam, and expressed the wish that he be included in the political process. A recurring Russian proposal in recent months. It is in this context of Russian support that the two men arrested by the Sarraj government met with the son of Muammar Gaddafi, which feeds the speculations about their real activity ...

The director of the Russian foundation defends his employees

In Tripoli, the Attorney General's office accuses the two Russian citizens of having sought to sow " chaos and unrest, " to " influence the election results and fuel the civil war in Libya ". For Tripoli, these men are " mercenaries of the Internet, " charged with shaping public opinion.

Worse yet, the Sarraj government suspects the Russians of wanting to put a pro-Russian figurehead at the helm of Libyan power. But relatives of Saif al-Islam refute these accusations.

In response to accusations from Tripoli, Alexander Malkevich publishes the research results of his team on the foundation's website. He says his researchers surveyed 1,200 people, including some political and social figures, including Saif al-Islam. He strongly denies any willingness to intervene in Libyan affairs.

Still, according to their study, only 3 to 7% of Libyan citizens would support the GNA led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, while Khalifa Haftar and Saif al-Islam would reap 55% of votes.

→ Read also: Libya: Marshal Haftar still supported by Moscow

As for Alexander Malkevich, he is no stranger. According to US media reports, Alexander Malkevich is said to have close relations with Russian businessman Evgeni Prigogin, who is close to President Vladimir Putin. Evgueni Prigogine is the initiator of the Project Lakhta organization, which has an Internet search site, suspected of wanting to intervene and influence the elections in the United States in 2016. The name of Evguini Prigogine is on a list of 19 personalities Russians hit by US sanctions.

→ Read also: Why does Libya love foreign powers?

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