East-based Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar has promoted military aid Mahmoud Al-Werfalli to the rank of lieutenant-colonel despite the latter being on the International Criminal Court (ICC) wanted list of war criminal.
Al-Werfalli was army major until his new appointment.
The appointment flies in the face of the UN and the ICC which has issued an international arrest warrant against the man who had been heading the Saiqa Special Forces aligned with the Libyan National Army headed by Haftar.
Al-Werfalli was accused in August 2017 of the execution of about 33 bound captives in cold blood, in Benghazi, during the capture of the city in July 2017 after nearly three years of combat.
The captives were allegedly the Islamic State group (ISIS) suspects.
The LNA, following the ICC demand to extradite its officer, said it arrested and opened an investigation against Al-Werfalli.
Haftar, backed by several foreign countries including the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia has been opposed to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). The military commander has since April launched a military offensive to take control of Tripoli.
The offensive has met fierce resistance from GNA-aligned forces which are also backed Turkey and Qatar.
Libya: Haftar promotes ICC-wanted military close aid
