A national of the United Arab Emirates -- detained by the Libyan authorities in 2015 for alleged espionage -- has been murdered by a Libyan intelligence agent, according to prosecution authorities in Tripoli.

The announcement was made at a Wednesday press conference held by Al-Sidiq al-Sour, head of investigations for the Libyan attorney-general’s office (affiliated with Libya’s UN-backed unity government).

According to al-Sour, the Emirati national -- whose name was not released -- was arrested in Tripoli in 2015 for suspected espionage.

He was later abducted from his place of detention, however, and killed by a Libyan intelligence agent, al-Sour said.

Al-Sour did not mention when or where the incident took place, but said the intelligence agent had been killed in a subsequent shootout with Libyan security forces.

According to the official, prosecution authorities are now investigating the motives behind the man’s murder and plan to prosecute anyone found to be involved.