The Office of the Public Prosecutor confirmed the issuance of a ruling by the Criminal Court on Monday to execute 17 individuals accused of joining the Islamic State organization (ISIS).

In a statement, the office said that the Public Prosecution referred 41 defendants to the judiciary for crimes in the city of Sabratha and its surrounding areas.

The statement indicated that the defendants' actions included killing 53 people, vandalizing government headquarters and causing dozens of people to go missing.

33 of the 41 defendants were convicted, 17 of them were sentenced to death, two were sentenced to life imprisonment and 14 have varying prison sentences.  

Sabratha was liberated from the grip of ISIS in October 2017 after clashes that lasted for more than a year.