South African prosecutors have dropped charges against 95 Libyan nationals who were arrested at an alleged illegal military training camp in Mpumalanga province. The men, who had entered the country on study visas, were accused by police of receiving military training at the camp, where firearms and ammunition were seized during a police raid. Despite initially claiming they were undergoing security training, there was inadequate evidence to proceed with prosecution, according to the National Prosecuting Authority. The only charge brought against the group was for violating immigration laws, confirmed National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.

Following the withdrawal of charges, the men are expected to be deported back to Libya within the next 48 hours, as stated by their lawyer. The individuals, now in the custody of immigration officials, have consistently maintained through their legal representation that their presence in South Africa was solely for security training purposes. Lawyer Nico du Plessis emphasized the men’s satisfaction with the dropped charges, expressing confidence in the nature of their activities in the country. The issue of alleged military training at the camp remains under investigation, while the focus of the current legal action was solely on immigration law violations.