Italy reprimanded by the ICC after releasing Libyan suspected war criminal

Rome – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has faced criticism after releasing a Libyan warlord on procedural grounds. He was previously detained under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, ICC, on charges of crimes against humanity.

The ICC actually routinely issues diplomatic responses in various legal cases. But in the case of al-Masri, the court based in The Hague was more severe than usual.

In its statement, the ICC reminded Italy of its obligation to “fully cooperate” with law enforcement authorities. ICC also admitted that it is still waiting for an official explanation from the government in Rome.

This happened after the Italian government released and repatriated Ossama Anijem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, who headed the Tripoli branch of the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Agency, a network of notorious detention centers run by the government-backed Special Defense Forces.

Jagal from Tripoli

The controversy began when the Italian government repatriated Ossama Aniyem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, who headed the notorious detention camp of the Special Defense Forces in Tripoli.

He was detained on Sunday (19/1) in Turin, after attending the Italian League football match between Juventus and AC Milan the night before.

The arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, ICC, was issued the day before. In it, al-Masri is accused of committing crimes against humanity at the Mitiga prison in 2015. He is threatened with a life sentence.

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Al-Masri is suspected of committing murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence against detainees. According to the ICC, the arrest warrant was sent to all member countries on Saturday (18/1), including Italy. The court also claims to have received direct information about the suspect’s entry into European territory.

But al-Masri was suddenly released by a court in Rome on Tuesday (21/1), and flown back to Libya on a plane belonging to the Italian secret service. The court argued that the process of his arrest violated official procedures.

A slap for the victim

According to the court, the procedure was violated when Justice Minister Carlo Nordio was not informed beforehand about the arrest. The Ministry of Justice is authorized to handle all matters with the ICC.

In the end, human rights groups condemned Italy for releasing al-Masri. “This ruling is a blow to victims, survivors, and seekers of justice worldwide,” said Esther Major from Amnesty International, Deputy Director of Research for Europe.

He called al Masri’s escape “a missed opportunity to break the cycle of impunity in Libya.”

Italy has close ties with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, primarily to prevent a wave of migrants from crossing.

It is suspected that Italy is concerned that the trial of al-Masri in The Hague could also reveal Italy’s migration practices and cooperation with Libyan authorities, which are funded by Rome to prevent the flow of migrants.

Various human rights groups have documented a range of serious violations in Libyan detention facilities, where migrants are held. They accuse Italy of being involved in those crimes.

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