Italy PM Meloni under investigation for releasing Libya commander, defying ICC arrest warrant over war crimes

Italy’s Prime Minister has been placed under judicial investigation after her government released a Libyan police official accused of a variety of human rights violations, defying an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Osama Elmasry Njeem, who is reportedly the head of the Tripoli branch of the Libyan network of detention centres named the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution, is wanted by the ICC on numerous charges such as murder, rape, sexual violence and torture committed within the country since 15 February 2015 following the overthrow of former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi.

Under that ICC arrest warrant, Njeem was arrested and detained in the northern Italian city of Turin last week. Two days later, however, and despite the charges against him, Italian authorities freed him and flew him to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on an official state aircraft.

According to Italy’s Interior Ministry which responded to parliament last week, it swiftly repatriated Njeem based on “reasons of state security”. That move, though, has earned the condemnation of the ICC, which said it was not consulted over the decision and demanded an explanation from Rome.

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Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, is now being held to account for that decision, revealing in a video message posted on social media on Tuesday that Rome’s chief prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, has placed her under investigation over allegations of aiding and abetting a crime and the misuse of public funds.

She has rejected the allegations and any accusations of wrongdoing, however, insisting that she “will not be blackmailed” and “will not be intimidated over an investigation”.

The Italian Premier said that prosecutors also placed under investigation Justice Minister, Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and the cabinet Under-Secretary for intelligence matters.

Piantedosi and Nordio were set to address parliament on Wednesday to give more information on the case, but Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani, has since informed parliament of their absence in order to “abide by procedures and respect the confidentiality of the probe”. He stated that the government needed “to reflect for a moment on what and when to report to Parliament”.