Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government are facing criticism over the release on technical grounds of a Libyan warlord arrested on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Was done.
The Hague-based court, for its part, issued a more diplomatic response, but its anger was clear.
In a statement, the ICC reminded Italy that it is obliged to “fully cooperate” in its prosecution and said it was still awaiting information about what exactly Rome had done.
This came after the Italian government released and deported home Osama Anizem, also known as Osama al-Masri, who heads the Tripoli branch of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution, a government-backed special defense force. There is a notorious network of detention centers run by.
Al-Masri was arrested on Sunday in Turin, where he reportedly attended a Juventus-AC Milan football match the night before.
The ICC warrant, issued a day earlier, accused al-Masri of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Libya’s Mitiga prison in 2015, which carries a punishable sentence of up to life in prison.
According to the ICC, al-Masri was charged with murder, torture, rape and sexual violence.
The ICC said the warrant was sent to member states, including Italy, on Saturday, while also providing the court with real-time information on whether he has entered Europe.
But Rome’s appeals court ordered al-Masri released on Tuesday, and he was flown back to Libya on a plane belonging to Italian secret services because the appeals court said there was a procedural error in his arrest.
‘A stunning blow’ for victims
The decision stated that Justice Minister Carlo Nordio should have been informed ahead of time, as the Justice Ministry handles all relations with the ICC.
Human rights groups criticized Italy for letting al-Masri go.
“This is a stunning blow to victims, survivors and international justice,” said Esther Major, Amnesty International’s deputy director of research for Europe. He called it “a missed opportunity to break the cycle of impunity in Libya.”
Italy has close ties with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, on which it relies to patrol its shores and prevent migrants from leaving.
A trial in The Hague of al-Masri could draw unwanted attention to Italy’s migration policies and its support of the Libyan coast guard, which it has financed to stop migrants from leaving.
Human rights groups have documented serious abuses in Libyan detention facilities where migrants are held, and have accused Italy of being complicit in their abuses.
ftm/jcg (dpa, AP)