Opposition parties in the Lower House
on Wednesday called on Premier Giorgia Meloni to report to
parliament on the case of the head of the Libyan judicial
police, Najeem Osema Almasri Habish, the director of Tripoli's
Mitiga detention centre, who was released by the Italian
authorities the previous day and has returned to Libya following
his arrest in Turin Sunday.
The official was arrested on an International Criminal Court
(ICC) warrant regarding in particular the alleged abuse of
migrants at the detention centre where human rights' groups say
people are arbitrarily held, tortured and raped.
The Libyan judicial police commander faced a potential life term
over "war crimes and crimes against humanity", according to
judicial sources.
"We are here to stress the unprecedented gravity" of the Almasri
case, "a war criminal" who was arrested, then released and
"accompanied to Tripoli with a State flight", said MP Nicola
Fratoianni of the Green-Left Alliance (AVS) during a press
conference with Elly Schlein, the leader of the largest member
of the opposition, the Democratic Party (PD), as well as
representatives of other members of the centre left including
Più Europa, Italia Viva (IV), the 5-Star Movement (M5S) and
Azione. Fratoianni in particular announced that the opposition's
whips were sending a joint letter to Lower House Speaker Lorenzo
Fontana to "request that Meloni report to Parliament".
AVS on Tuesday had called for Justice Minister Carlo Nordio's
resignation over the case.
"Meloni declared war on human traffickers across the world, one
was arrested and they took him back home - an extremely unclear
case", said Schlein.
M5S leader, former premier Giuseppe Conte, said "Meloni and
Nordio need to urgently explain to the country the incredible
decision to snatch a criminal from international justice without
caring for an arrest warrant issued by the International
Criminal Court".
MP Maria Elena Boschi of IV said it was "impossible" for the
government not to be aware of what was happening. The leader of
Più Europa Riccardo Magi accused the cabinet of "raising its
voice with the weak, and then accompanying back to Libya a
person accused of such grave crimes on a State flight".
Meanwhile Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani
said "criminal proceedings must be respected, if there are
procedural flaws in the application of the law, measures cannot
be applied", replying to a question on Almasri's release.
Tajani also said mistakes were made by "those who should have
spoken with the minister" of justice, Nordio.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is set to discuss the case,
among other issues, during a question time session at the Senate
on Thursday.
A Rome court of appeal ordered Almasri's release due to a
procedural issue regarding the failure to consult the justice
minister before making the arrest.
Almasri is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes
against humanity, as well as, reportedly, for alleged rape and
murder.
He had reportedly gone to Turin to watch the Juventus-Milan
match on Saturday evening.
Well-informed sources said Wednesday that Almasri went to a car
rental in Germany on Saturday, the same day the ICC issued an
arrest warrant for him.
On that day, an official at the Hague-based court contacted a
security official at the Italian embassy in the Netherlands to
alert Italian authorities that Almasri would be travelling to
Italy, where he was arrested on Sunday evening.
Almasri was received at Tripoli's Mitiga airport on Tuesday
evening by supporters who cheered him hailing his release,
according to a video posted on X by Libyan platform Fawasel
Media.
Footage showed dozens of young men carrying what appeared to be
Almasri on their shoulders and chanting "uh, uh the Italians".
Italy has an agreement with Libya to provide aid for its coast
guard in exchange for cooperation on combatting illegal
migration crossings.
However, the 2017 deal, renewed every three years and approved
by the European Council, has been slammed by NGOs for allegedly
fostering illegal pushbacks.
People who are intercepted by Libyan coast guard and brought
back to shore are often taken to detention facilities where they
are subjected to dire conditions and potential abuse.
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