A Tunisian court has freed former Libyan prime minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi despite an extradition request from Libyan authorities. ABC reports said, a judicial source confirmed that Mr. Mahmoudi was now a free man.

The former prime minister had fled Libya to neighbouring Tunisia soon after the rule of Moamar Gaddafi collapsed in August and had gone on hunger strike in protest against his possible extradition.

In an interview this month, Mahmoudi had said that he was not involved in repression during Gaddafi’s 42-year rule and wanted to cooperate with Libya’s new interim government. Mahmoudi was Libyan prime minister from 2006, and was the highest-ranking member of Gaddafi’s administration in detention.