On 1 June, the Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani called on Governmet of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Dabaiba to intensify airstrikes on Zawiyya. He said that fighting robbery and smuggling gangs as well as corruption is Islamically legitimate, and this fight has nothing to do whatsoever with factionalism or racism. In fact, al-Ghariani said that the battle against corruption must be expanded to all regions of Libya and that ‘the Sharia ruling on this matter is known to all’. The following day, the umbrella protest movement in Zawiyya (known as the ‘Zawiyya Youth Movement’ or the ‘Movement to Correct the Path of the Great City of Zawiyya) welcomed the continuation of the airstrikes on the smuggling gangs. Talks are being held with all parties within the city to secure the extradition of supposed criminals. The movement’s stated goal is to put the security of Zawiyya in the hands of the police and army.
