The families of four Al Jazeera staffers held in Libya have staged sit-ins at the embassies in their respective countries to demand the immediate release of their loved ones.

The relatives of Ahmad Val Ould Eddin staged a protest along with other journalists outside the Libyan embassy in his native Mauritania, while fellow correspondent Lotfi Al Maoudi’s family gathered in the Tunisian town of Kairouan.

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that security forces loyal to long time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi arrested four Al Jazeera Arabic employees who have been working in western Libya for several days.

The four staffers are:

• Ahmed Vall Ould Addin, correspondent
• Kamel Atalua, cameraman
• Ammar al-Hamdan, cameraman
• Lotfi al-Messaoudi, correspondent

The network said that it holds the Libyan authorities responsible for their safety, security and well-being, and "regional parties" are helping to secure their release, Al Jazeera said in a statement.

"We're doing everything possible to secure the release of our colleagues from the Gaddafi authorities," Al Jazeera Director General Wadah Khanfar wrote on Twitter. "We want them back immediately."