Audio By Carbonatix
Two British journalists detained in Libya are suspected of spying, the militia that is holding them says.
Faraj al-Swehli, commander of a Misrata brigade, said the men had entered Libya illegally and were carrying "incriminating evidence".
He said the activities of reporter Nicholas Davies, 37, and cameraman Gareth Montgomery-Johnson, 36, from Carmarthen, were being investigated.
The men had been working for Iran's English-language TV station Press TV.
Rights groups have called for their release.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Tripoli says that at a hastily convened press conference in the capital, reporters were shown video footage of what was purported to be the two journalists test-firing weapons.
Members of the militia also produced a field dressing that they said they had found in the journalists' possession.
It was of a type, they said, used by the Israeli military.
Mr Swehli told reporters that he believed the two men were spies and that he and his men were conducting their own investigation into the matter.
"After we have finished the investigation we are going to transfer them to the state authorities to pursue the legal process against them," he said, according to Reuters.
Mr Swehli said the two men were being well treated.
Mr Davies, who works under the name Nick Jones, and Mr Montgomery-Johnson were detained on 21 February, apparently while filming late at night on the streets of Tripoli.
The initial accusation against them was that their immigration documents were not in order.
The Libyan Prime Minister's office and the interior ministry told the BBC that they knew nothing of the allegations of spying.
All efforts by the interim government and the British embassy to persuade the militia to release the journalists into official custody have so far met with refusal.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
E&P to invest $1.2bn in Tarkwa and Damang mines, sends 30 heavy-duty trucks to site
12 minutes -
Military attacks on Iran trigger climate damage equivalent to Iceland’s annual emissions – New study
13 minutes -
SSNIT, TUC engage Ashanti workers to deepen pension literacy
28 minutes -
Ghana School of Law student dies after medical emergency during lectures
44 minutes -
2026 World Cup: GHANSU unveils sponsors ahead of tournament
46 minutes -
Trade, trust, and transformation: What the Ghana-UK partnership agreement must do next
50 minutes -
2026 World Cup: ‘We fear no foe’ – Kurt Okraku on Black Stars campaign
52 minutes -
GPL: Ibrahim Tanko bemoans ‘slow start’ in Medeama’s defeat to Dreams FC
59 minutes -
Housing Minister pledges action on flooding, housing, water ahead of rainy season
1 hour -
Agradaa says prison experience strengthened her faith and ministry
1 hour -
DBI Assembly, traditional leaders donate medical equipment to Issa polyclinic, motorbike to Police
1 hour -
Religious bodies, civil society groups unite to combat air pollution , waste injustice in Ghana
1 hour -
Accra’s growth is leaving its workforce behind
1 hour -
Heart Attack: The silent killer in people with diabetes mellitus
1 hour -
GPL 2025/26: Hearts of Oak to return to Accra Sports Stadium after UG renovation
1 hour
