Tripoli, February 28: The Federal Government is concerned about one Australian man still detained in Libya, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.
The man was detained by Libyan security forces on February 21 and the Australian Government has still not been able to contact him.
“We continue to have concerns about one Australian who has been taken into detention by Libyan forces,” the Prime Minister told ABC radio today.
“We don’t have any more information.”
The UN Security Council has called for a travel ban and assets freeze against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his family and associates, and an arms embargo against Libya, where the UN says more than 1000 people have been killed.
Ms Gillard says the international community has spoken with one voice to condemn the Gaddafi regime.
“This is a significant step and should be a real warning to Colonel Gaddafi.”
She said some Australians were choosing to stay in Libya but the warning against travelling there was still in place.
“Do not travel, do not go to Libya,” she said.
Ms Gillard was asked if she believed Gaddafi was “unhinged”.
“Look, to some extent it doesn’t matter in the sense of whether he is motivated by instability or whether he is motivated by evil,” she said.
“The result is the same for the Libyan people: which is he is threatening to wage war against them and we are seeing mass casualties and this very bloody violence.”
——–Agencies