Italy’s interior minister has defended the swift repatriation of a Libyan man, Osama Elmasry Njeem, who was briefly detained under an international war crimes arrest warrant, citing his “social dangerousness,” Al Jazeera reports.
Njeem, also known as Osama Almasri Njeem, was apprehended in Turin on Sunday based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The ICC alleges that Njeem, a brigadier general in Libya’s Judicial Police, is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, and rape of detainees at the Mitiga Detention Centre in Tripoli. However, Njeem was unexpectedly released shortly after his arrest.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told lawmakers that an Italian appeals court ordered Njeem’s release, deeming his arrest noncompliant with legal procedures. Piantedosi then stated that Njeem was quickly repatriated due to concerns about his “social dangerousness,” without elaborating further.
The ICC maintains that the crimes Njeem is accused of were “committed by Mr. Njeem personally, ordered by him, or with his assistance, by members of the Special Deterrence Forces.”
The decision to release and repatriate Njeem has triggered significant criticism. Some senators expressed dismay that Italy disregarded its obligations to the ICC to hand over suspects wanted for war crimes. They have called for Prime Minister Georgia Meloni to address lawmakers’ questions in an open session regarding the matter.
Opposition parties have labeled Piantedosi’s explanations as inadequate and demanded that Meloni clarify the situation in parliament.
The incident comes just a week after Italy and Libya resumed direct flights between their capitals, ending a decade-long suspension. Notably, Prime Minister Meloni’s government heavily relies on Libyan security forces to control migration, particularly preventing migrants from reaching southern Italy.
Rome has a deal with Libya, dating back to 2017 and renewed under Meloni’s leadership, where Italy funds and trains the Libyan coastguard. This deal has faced human rights concerns regarding the treatment of migrants intercepted by the Libyan forces.
