Italy defends expulsion of Libyan war crimes suspect news
Some senators expressed disappointment that Italy ignored its obligations to the ICC to hand over the suspects.
Italy’s interior minister says a Libyan man detained under an international war crimes arrest warrant and then unexpectedly released was swiftly deported because of his “social dangerousness.”
Osama Elmasri Najim, also known as Osama Almasri Najim, was detained in Turin on Sunday under an arrest warrant issued by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), which said he was charged with incarceration. He was suspected of crimes including murder, torture and rape. In Libya.
However, he was released on Tuesday due to legal technicalities and flown back to Tripoli by an Italian state plane.
The ICC demanded an explanation, saying it had not been consulted by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi asked sharp questions from opposition lawmakers during the Senate session on Thursday.
“Following the non-recognition of the arrest, … given that the Libyan citizen … presented a profile of social dangerousness, … I adopted an expulsion order for reasons of state security,” Piantedosi said.
Some senators expressed disappointment that Italy had ignored its obligations to the court to hand over suspects. He reiterated that Prime Minister Georgia Meloni should answer MPs’ questions in an open session.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani highlighted the ICC’s objections, telling reporters that the court is “not the Word of God.” It is not the font of the whole truth.”
“Italy is a sovereign country and we make our own decisions,” he said.
Najim’s arrest and release came about a week after Rome and Tripoli resumed direct flights between their two capitals after a decade-long hiatus.
Najim is a brigadier general in the Libyan Judicial Police who the ICC said is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Mitiga detention center in Tripoli.
Meloni’s government relies heavily on Libyan security forces to prevent would-be migrants from leaving the North African nation for southern Italy.
Rome has an agreement with the North African country to provide funding and training to the Libyan coast guard – dating from 2017 and renewed under Meloni’s government.
Piantedosi told lawmakers during a question session in the Senate that Rome’s appeals court ordered Najim’s release because they deemed his arrest not in accordance with procedures.
The ICC stated that the crimes listed in the arrest warrant “were committed by Mr. Najim personally, ordered by, or with the assistance of, members of the Special Preventive Forces”.
Opposition parties said Piantedosi’s explanations were inadequate and called on Meloni to come to parliament to clarify them.
“You are completely embarrassing our country. You talk about technicalities, but you have made a precise political choice,” said senator Giuseppe De Cristofaro of the green-left Alliance party.
