The President of the Democracy and Human Rights Foundation, Imad al-Din al-Muntasir, revealed in a statement to Libya Alahrar that the Virginia court in the United States has set a date for hearing and considering the petition submitted by Khalifa Haftar’s lawyer to reassess the applicability of the National Secrets Non-Disclosure Act to him due to his military position.
The court had decided on August 5th to grant the victims’ lawyer another prospect regarding the interrogation of Haftar on the accusations he faces, provided that the interrogation is for 3 hours and that it be done within a maximum period of 60 days. Al-Muntasir quoted Haftar’s lawyer as justifying that the approaching date of the pleadings may expose the accused “Haftar” to questions about Libyan state secrets, which prompts him to appeal the ruling.
The President of the Democracy Foundation pointed out that the appeal court requires exhausting all available means for him in the primary court, and therefore he is submitting this request to preserve his right to appeal.
Al-Muntasir added that the defense lawyer for the victims filed an objection with the American court, considering that it had ruled several times that this law does not apply to Haftar, confirming that his only goal is to prolong the deliberations.
Al-Muntasir Source: Libya Alahrar