Mahmoudi was released for "health reasons at the recommendation of a special medical commission to continue his treatment at specialized medical centers" abroad, since Libya was no longer able to provide him with effective medical care, the statement said.
The ministry stressed that the decision did not entail clearing Mahmoudi of criminal charges and prosecution.
Mahmoudi served as Libya's prime minister from 2006 up until the uprising in 2011 that toppled the country's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi and launched a violent civil war. Mahmoudi attempted fleeing to the neighboring Tunisia but was extradited. In 2015, he along with several other Gaddafi-era high-ranking officials was sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.
After the events of 2011, Libya ceased functioning as a unified state. Today it is split between two governments: the eastern part of the country is controlled by the parliament and the Libyan National Army while the UN-backed Tripoli-based Government of National Accord controls the west.
