Correspondent|JUSTICE, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has revealed that the adopted son of the late Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Abhallha Mone Moussa Moummare, is resisting attempts by Zimbabwean authorities to have him deported to Tripoli, Libya, citing fears for his security.

“He was deported through Ethiopia (but) when he got to Addis Ababa, he said ‘I am not going to Libya’. He refused to disembark from the plane, and they had to bring him back,” said Ziyambi.

Ziyambi said this while appearing before a Senate thematic committee on human rights where he was briefing senators on how Government was dealing with refugees, and addressing their living conditions in prisons.

The committee, led by Senator Oliver Chidawu (ZANU-PF), had expressed concern over the living conditions of inmates, asking why refugees were being lumped together with serving prisoners.

“We do not have refugees in prison, but prohibited immigrants. They are fined and an order for deportation is given. Some of them stay for over two years. It is a challenge really,” said Minister Ziyambi.

“In certain instances, some of them refuse to go to their original countries saying ‘if we go there we will be persecuted’. I know there is one who refused to go, is it Gaddafi?” he said.

Minister Ziyambi said Gaddafi’s son ran away from Libya after his father was deposed and killed in 2011, and arrived in Harare in 2014.

He has since approached the High Court challenging his detention at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and wants to be granted refugee or asylum status.

“There are some court applications challenging his detention. So we are waiting for the outcome. Initially his identity could not be ascertained definitively. Under those circumstances, it was not prudent to grant that status without ascertaining for ourselves.

“So he was deported, but refused to go to Libya. He said he was more comfortable here. He was deported and while in Addis en-route to Libya, he refused to disembark from the plane,” said Minister Ziyambi.

Responding to questions from senators, Minister Ziyambi said it was not ideal to detain prohibited immigrants in prisons, but Government was doing so because there were no safe places to keep them while they awaited deportation.

“We are seized with that but the dilemma is that we do not have anywhere to put them. The prison was the only place considered as an alternative,” said Minister Ziyambi.