Man presented as suspect in Benghazi attack subject to secret detention and repeated kidnappings

New York City — In a case involving the rendition strategy of the War on Terror, Zubayr Al-Bakoush, a Libyan national aged 58, was presented for the first time in US custody on Friday 6 February 2026 following his unlawful kidnap from his family home in Tripoli in late January 2026. Al-Bakkoush, a former Police Officer, has been denied his due process rights. This is following repeated kidnappings and releases of Al-Bakoush over the years. 

His transfer to US custody was announced at a high-profile press conference on 6 February 2026 by former Attorney General Pam Bondi, appearing alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Bondi announced that Al-Bakoush had been extradited to the United States and would face trial in federal court in Washington DC. Pirro stated that he faces an eight-count indictment including charges of murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to support terrorists, allegedly in connection with the 2012 attack on the US compound in Benghazi. Bondi gave no account of where Al-Bakoush had been held in the weeks between his disappearance from Tripoli and his arrival on US soil. 

His case was scheduled for a status hearing on the 4th of June, but due to the complexity of the case, lawyers have requested that the court extend the timeline and the next hearing has been scheduled for 9th July 2026.

Al-Bakoush was previously kidnapped by joint Libyan-US forces in 2021, and interrogated on a US marine base. He was held at the base for a number of months before being transferred to a prison in the Libyan city of Misratah and eventually  was released over a year later  following a deterioration of his poor health. 

Al-Bakoush suffers from serious heart disease and has undergone multiple open-heart surgeries, including a bypass operation in 2023. 

He was kidnapped again in November 2025 and held until December 2025. Again, no charges and no explanation.

In late January 2026, masked men broke down the door of the family home without warning. Not hearing from him for days, his family reported him missing, but learned what had happened only when he appeared in the news in February 2026.

His mother died in March 2026 while he remained in US custody. 

Zubayr Al Bakkoush’s family said, speaking to CAGE International:

“The consistent violation of Al-Bakkoush’s due process rights by US and Libyan forces casts huge doubts on the legality and credibility of the current allegations against him in relation to the 2012 Benghazi Attack.”

CAGE International will continue to monitor this case. 

 Timeline:

• 2011- enrolled to work as policemen for Division 17 February by Nato backed interim government in Libya
• 2012 - deployed as part of the forces to secure consulate and its staff during the attacks
• 2021 - kidnapped and detained by joint US/Libyan forces; questioned on a US marine base for ~ 5 months then transferred to prison in Misratah – for ~1 year and 2 months
• 2022 - released due to deteriorating health
• Nov 2025 - detained by US forces for ~ 1 month – released in Dec 2025
• Late Jan 2026 - ZA’s home is stormed (door broken) by Libyan and other forces  - told that he would be away for 1 hour but does not come back
• 6 Feb 2026 - Attorney General Pam Bondi announces that ZA has been arrested and is in US custody in connection with the attack on its consulate in Benghazi; ZA was formally charged in a federal court in Washington DC
• 11 Feb 2026 - Case has been designated as complex with extended timeline

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