A Libyan general wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity has been arrested in Tripoli.
Osama Almasri Najim, the former chief of Libya’s judicial police, was arrested over allegations of torturing prisoners, leading to the death of one, at Tripoli’s main prison, Libya’s prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
The Italian government came under fire in January after Najim was arrested in the northern city of Turin on the ICC warrant only to be released two days later and flown back to Tripoli on an Italian air force plane.
In a statement, Libya’s prosecutors’ office said that as it had pursued the ICC’s allegations, it had gathered additional information about “human rights violations against inmates at Tripoli’s main prison, who reported being subjected to torture and cruel, degrading treatment”.
Najim had been questioned about the alleged abuse against 10 prisoners and the death of one, the statement said. The arrest was made “given that sufficient evidence was established to support the charges”, the statement added.
Najim is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as alleged rape and murder.
He was arrested in Turin after attending a football match before being released and repatriated. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said he had been quickly repatriated because he was considered a risk to Italy’s national security.
Critics accused her administration of pandering to Libya because of its reliance on the north African country to stem the flow of migration towards Italy’s southern shores.
The ICC said Italy had failed in its obligations under the Rome statute, the court’s founding treaty, to execute the warrant and surrender Najim while he was on Italian territory.
The case prompted Rome prosecutors to investigate Meloni and three other government officials on suspicion of aiding and abetting a crime and embezzlement of public funds over use of the air force jet, although they were later cleared.
In May, Libya accepted the authority of the ICC to investigate alleged war crimes in the country despite not being party to the Rome statute.
Italian opposition parties reacted swiftly to news of Najim’s arrest, with the former prime minister and leader of the Five Star Movement Giuseppe Conte saying it was “a humiliation for the Meloni government”.
Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic party, said: “The Libyan authorities ordered Almasri’s arrest on charges of torture and murder … the same criminal that [the Italian government] freed and escorted home on a government flight. This is a disgrace at an international level for which our government must apologise to Italians.”
Antonella Forattini, a Democratic party politician, said it was “a stain on our institutions and Italy’s image around the world”. She added: “Libya is now demonstrating that it is ahead of our country in defending justice and legality.”
The case put the spotlight on a controversial pact between Italy and Libya, signed in 2017 and renewed every three years. The deal, approved by the European Council, involves Italy funding and equipping the Libyan coastguard to prevent boats of refugees leaving the north African country. Humanitarian groups have criticised it for pushing people back to detention camps, where they face torture and other abuses.
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