1000 prisoners escape from Libyan jail Abdessalem al-Mesmari, an anti-Islamist lawyer who campaigned for a civil state, was shot dead in Benghazi on Friday. The prominent activist was among the first Libyans who launched the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi. He helped found the political wing of rebels who later overthrew the regime. After the revolution, he took a prominent stand against the Muslim Brotherhood, which he accused of striving to take power in Libya despite popular discontent. Benghazi's security situation is among the most precarious in post-revolution Libya. Last year, the American ambassador and three other Americans were killed in an attack there.