The brother of former Guantanamo detainee Omar Deghayes has gone missing in Libya.

Mr Deghayes’s younger brother Munder is among 20,000 young men who have disappeared in the country.

The family believe Munder, who is a British national, has been locked up in a jail in the country’s capital Tripoli.

They last heard from the father-of-three in February and Omar is now desperately attempting to help his brother and other family members caught up in the Libyan crisis.

Munder escaped Libya as a teenager with the rest of his family in 1980 and sought refuge in Saltdean.

He went to Swansea University and two of his young children were born in Sussex.

He had spent time between Libya and Sussex over the last few years.

Omar said his brother felt he would be safe going back to Libya because he wasn’t involved in politics and lived only for his family and work.

He said: “When the revolution against Gaddafi started, forces started to pick up young men off the streets who were suspected of taking part in peaceful demonstrations.

“In Libya, peaceful demonstration is seen as treason.

“The last we heard about him is that he was locked up.”

Omar spent five years in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp after being picked up in Pakistan in 2002.

He was eventually released in December 2007 without charge after his family and supporters fought a five-year campaign.

Jackie Chase, who campaigned to free Omar from Guantanamo, said: “The family are very distressed by the situation and are hoping and praying for his safety.

“It’s very difficult for them when you consider what they’ve already been through.”