Britain calls for immediate release of Libyan PM

British foreign secretary William Hague called for the immediate release of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Thursday after he was seized by gunmen from a hotel in Tripoli.

British foreign secretary William Hague called on Thursday for the immediate release of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Thursday after he was seized by gunmen from a hotel in Tripoli.

"I condemn the abduction of the Libyan prime minister in Tripoli this morning and call for his immediate release," Hague said in a statement.

Britain's ambassador to Libya is in contact with the transitional government that took charge in Libya following the toppling of dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011, Hague added.

"It is vital that the process of political transition in Libya is maintained," Hague said.

"The government and people of Libya have our full support at this concerning time."

Britain and France led the creation of a Nato no-fly zone in Libya in 2011 at the beginning of the uprising against Gaddafi.