New Delhi: Following the report of “slave auctions” being held in Libya, Libyan embassy in New Delhi was quick enough to give clarification. The embassy immediately called a press conference and termed the human trafficking report as fabricated. Calling it a plot by European countries Libya’s Charge d’ Affaires to India Khalid I A Azwai said ‘we agree that our country is very weak, especially the law and order situation is very poor, but there is no report of human trafficking.’ He said the case appears more of “human smuggling” than human trafficking. He added, “What has been said by some recent media reports, of bargain that appeared in form of selling or buying people of African descent, is most likely aimed at smuggling them to their last destination, Europe as immigrants, and not as slaves.”
When asked about the video released by US broadcaster, he said, ‘bargaining (as seen in a video accompanying the report) was on the cost of their transportation and not on their freedom for purpose of enslavement.”
Khalid Azwai read a 5-page press release before the press persons. Press release stressed it is not only Libya but the neighbouring countries and European countries are equally responsible for the situation. Though Khalid Azwai answered the questions posed by the press persons but he tried to beat about the bush. Unable to understand English, he evaded actual questions and only stressed on the point that no slave auction is carried out in Libya. He said ‘we don’t need to take moral lessons from western forces, we have Islamic law, according to which human trafficking is forbidden, hence there is no question of human trafficking in our country.’