Italy’s PM investigated over release of Libyan war crimes suspect 3 hours ago Laura Gozzi BBC News Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she has been placed under judicial investigation over Italy’s surprise release of a Libyan citizen who had been wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr Najim was arrested in Italy on 21 January and unexpectedly freed days later “due to a legal technicality”, the interior ministry said.
The decision to free Mr Najim was heavily criticised by the opposition and NGOs such as Amnesty International, which said Mr Najim was guilty of “horrific violations committed with total impunity”.
Videos that showed a jubilant crowd welcoming Mr Najim as he stepped off an Italian government plane in Tripoli caused particular uproar.
Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right, anti-migrant Brothers of Italy party, has headed Italy’s ruling right-wing coalition since 2022.
The Italian prime minister looked into the release of a Libyan war crimes suspect.
3 hours prior.
Gozi, Laura.
BBC News.
Italy’s unexpected release of a Libyan national wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes has landed her under judicial investigation, according to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni claimed that prosecutors were investigating her for embezzlement and aiding and abetting a crime in a video message posted on social media on Tuesday.
Almasri, also known as Osama Najim, is the director of a notorious detention facility in Mitiga, close to Tripoli, and the head of Libya’s judicial police.
After being detained in Italy on January 21, Mr. Najim was unexpectedly released a few days later “due to a legal technicality,” according to the interior ministry.
The ICC quickly issued a second arrest warrant for Mr. Najim and demanded an explanation from the Italian authorities, claiming that it had not been consulted.
Meloni claimed in the video that the Rome appeals court freed Mr. Najim because the Italian justice ministry had not received the ICC warrant.
Meloni stated, “We made the decision to expel him and repatriate him right away, with a special flight, in order to prevent him from being released on Italian territory.”.
The opposition mocked the statement made by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio last week, which claimed that Mr. Najim had been expelled due to the “danger” he posed.
The opposition and non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International strongly condemned the decision to free Mr. Najim, claiming that he had committed “horrific violations committed with total impunity.”.
A particular uproar was sparked by videos that showed a joyful crowd in Tripoli welcoming Mr. Najim as he stepped off an Italian government plane.
According to Meloni, Nordio, Matteo Piantedosi, the interior minister, and Alfredo Mantovano, the cabinet undersecretary for intelligence matters, have also been under investigation. Formal charges are not always the result of being placed under investigation in Italy.
The Italian prime minister seemed to allude to the investigation’s political motivations in a defiant manner.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was recently the subject of an unrelated investigation by the case’s prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, she noted, while the lawyer who filed the complaint, Luigi Li Gotti, was a former left-wing politician.
Meloni declared that she could not be “blackmailed or intimidated” as the video came to an end.
“It could be the reason I’m disliked by those who oppose Italy’s progress and transformation,” she stated. “But that’s exactly why I plan to keep going, proudly and fearlessly defending Italians, especially when the country’s security is at risk. “,”.
One of the first to criticize Mr. Najim’s release was Matteo Renzi of the opposition party Italy Alive (IV), who expressed his belief that Meloni was “exploiting” the investigation to “feed her usual victim complex.”.
Since 2022, Giorgia Meloni has led Italy’s ruling right-wing coalition as leader of the far-right, anti-immigrant Brothers of Italy party.
In an effort to stop illegal departures and human trafficking, she has repeatedly vowed to crack down on immigration and to stop boats that are traveling from North Africa to Italy.
Like other leaders before her, Meloni has collaborated with Libyan authorities and militias to combat illegal immigration by giving them financial and technical support under contentious agreements. This includes funding and training for the Libyan coast guard, which intercepts migrant boats.
