The Libyan authorities havecharged freelance journalist, Mukhtar al-Halak, with criminal defamation and publishing state security secrets. According to Al-Halak, he is accused of defamation for publishing an article on Facebook about the disappearance of vehicles received by security directorate in the western city of Ajilat from the Ministry of Interior, and of publishing state secrets by posting an image of a telegram between Libyan security forces who were anticipating an attack. He told the Committee to Protect Journalists that he was arrested at the security directorate's office upon covering a meeting and was verbally abused during interrogations. In October 2018, Al-Halak was released on bail as reported by the Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press.