HIBAPRESS – Agencies. The Greater Benghazi Security Directorate in eastern Libya announced the discovery of the bodies of seven children and their father, murdered inside a car parked in the Al-Hawari area, on Tuesday morning, in a crime that sparked widespread shock.
The Libyan News Agency (WAL) reported today, Wednesday, that Major General Salah Huwaidi, the Security Director of Benghazi, said in a televised statement last night that the security services received a report from citizens about a foul odor emanating from a car that had been parked for days. Upon the arrival of the security patrols at the site, the bodies of the children and their father were discovered inside the vehicle. He clarified that the initial investigations, which were conducted in cooperation with the Criminal Evidence Department and the Public Prosecution, revealed that the father, named Hassan Al-Zawi, shot his six children in the head, while the seventh child was found inside the rear luggage compartment of the vehicle, showing signs of torture, which indicates the possibility that he was killed before his other siblings by a period ranging from several hours to a day. He added that the investigations showed that the father later ended his life using a licensed firearm registered in his name, which was confirmed by the results of fingerprint examination and the analysis of criminal evidence, in addition to recordings from surveillance cameras surrounding his residence and the analysis of telephone communications associated with him. Huwaidi pointed out that one of the deceased's wives stated during the interrogation that the husband was living alone with his children after separating from his two wives, and he was suffering from psychological and behavioral disorders, and he was known for his repeated abuse of his children, especially his eldest son, who was found in a horrific state of torture. The Ministry of Interior of the government assigned by the House of Representatives expressed its deep regret for this tragedy, stressing the continuation of investigations to reveal all the circumstances, and stressed the need not to be drawn into rumors or exploit the incident for political or media purposes. The ministry called on all citizens to await the official investigation results, which will be announced to the public transparently as soon as they are completed.
