International football star kidnapped by armed gunmen in Libya sparking panic
AN international footballer star has been kidnapped by a gang of armed gunmen in Libya.
Mohamed Zubya, 34, a striker for Al-Ittihad and Libya, has reportedly not been heard from since last Thursday after he was snatched in the capital Tripoli.
Zubya’s family said they don’t know the kidnappers’ demands for his release.
The National Human Rights Committee in Libya said the gunmen “took him to an unknown location and cut off contact with his family”.
Ahmed Hamza, the head of the committee, called for the immediate release of the football star, Libya Review reports.
“We call on the Libyan authority to release him without any delay, and not to repeat these outrageous incidents and practices,” Hamza said.
He said the kidnap of Zubya is “unacceptable, especially since he is a public figure”.
Hamza added: “Libyan authorities must also work to put an end to detentions… which constitute a flagrant violation of the rule of law and represent the worst forms of gross human rights violations.”
Zubya has played for Al-Arabi of Qatar, Algeria’s JS Kabylie, Mouloudia Oran, and Tunisia’s Esperance.
He played for the Libyan national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The footballer suffered a severe injury to his foot in February and underwent surgery.
He’s still having physical therapy and relies on crutches to get around.