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Arabic press review: Libyan man attacks neighbour with RPG missile

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia release a Yemeni journalist, and a Tunisian football club shuts down following mass migration of players
A Libyan fighter carries an RPG-7 during clashes between rival armed groups in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli on 7 May 2019 (Reuters)
A Libyan fighter carries an RPG-7 during clashes between rival armed groups in al-Yarmouk south of Tripoli on 7 May 2019 (Reuters)

Unregulated weapons debate in Libya 

A Libyan man reportedly attacked his neighbour's house using a shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade, Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Thursday. 

The incident has reignited a debate on the dangers of unregulated weapons in the country. 

Parliamentarian Ali al-Takbali said the problem emerged after the Nato bombing campaign in Libya in 2011, which left weapon depots of the previous government unattended. 

Ahmed al-Sharkasi, a member of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), said residents of major cities have the highest rates of weapons, which are often obtained for protection purposes. 

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“The real solution to the problem of weapons stored in homes or in possession of certain individuals begins with registering them through licensing, activating inspection campaigns, and punishing those who retain weapons without a licence," al-Sharkasi said.

Saudi Arabia releases Yemeni journalist

Saudi authorities released Yemeni journalist Marwan al-Muraisy and deported him to Yemen after he spent five years behind bars in the kingdom, the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported on Thursday. 

Two sources close to al-Muraisy's family confirmed his arrival in Yemen last week after serving his sentence in al-Hair prison in Riyadh. 

Al-Muraisy, 41, was arrested in June 2018 but his official charge was never made public. 

According to London-based Saudi rights organisation Sanad, a criminal court acquitted Al-Muraisy in 2021 of the charges brought against him. However, the court of appeals later overturned the verdict.

Tunisian football club shuts down 

A Tunisian football club dissolved its first team and suspended its activity after 32 of its players migrated to Europe, the London-based Arabi21 news website reported on Tuesday. 

Ghardimaou, one of the oldest Tunisia clubs currently in the fourth division, was unable to field a team in the last match and later announced it would shut down.  

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Jamil Miftahi, the club’s president, said many players have made the journey to France due to difficult financial circumstances at home.

Many left the club without notice, he said, leading the club to make the difficult decision and direct its focus on youth and academy teams. 

"Thirty-two players in total have migrated to Europe on irregular journeys in the past three years, all of them key team members whom we could not replace, leaving us with no option but to withdraw,” Miftahi said.

*Arabic press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.

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