The Libyan American Alliance reported the withdrawal of the legal defense team representing Khalifa Haftar in one of the lawsuits filed against him in the United States.
The Libyan American Alliance said that Haftar’s attorneys asked the judge in the Federal Court of Eastern Virginia, Leonie Brinkema, to exempt them from representing Haftar for not paying legal defense fees and failing to communicate with them during the trial.
“The defendant did not materially fulfill his obligations towards the defense attorney and did not communicate or cooperate with his attorneys’ team during the trial. If the representation continued at this stage, it would impose an unreasonable financial burden on the defense attorney; therefore, the legal defense team respectfully requested that the court accept an order allowing them to withdraw from the position of attorneys of record for defendant Khalifa Haftar.”
The Head of the Libyan American Alliance, Esam Omeish, said on his Facebook page that the lawyer for the families of the Libyan victims is registering a legal document with the court to demand a verdict in absentia convicting the war criminal; Haftar, saying that the upcoming hearing on June 10 will be decisive.
Haftar is facing several lawsuits in a Virginia court for committing war crimes in Libya because he holds an American citizenship.
