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Italy left a suspected Libyan war criminal. The migration policy of Europe could be the reason – follow the money

Italy left a suspected Libyan war criminal. The migration policy of Europe could be the reason – follow the money

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On the morning of January 19, 2025 at three o'clock, Italian police officers, who were charged with investigation into terrorism, were in the hotel room in Turin, where Osema Hishbis Najim Almasri lived.

Just a few hours earlier the International Criminal Court (ICC) the police in the northern Italian city had sent an arrest and delivery order against the Libyan Almasi for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity – from murder to torture and sexual crimes.

The 45-year-old is the head of the Tripoli judicial police, an elite branch of criminal prosecution, is accused of monitoring a reign of illegal horrors in the country's prisons.

According to his Italian police file, Almasri stands one foot on five feet with a state building and a thick neck and has the distinction feature of a partially amputated middle finger on his left hand.

At the time of his detention in Italy, he was already in Europe for fourteen days and traveled through Great Britain, France, Germany and Belgium.

He was stopped for the first time during a routine check in Munich, then a second time on the morning of January 18 in Turin.

On the latter opportunity, Almasri told the police that he and three other men had stopped with him in Italy to take part in a football game between Juventus and Milan. The prison terms alerted the ICC on its presence in Europe.

Almasri spent 48 hours in Turin in Turin after the hotel room was arrested in the early morning. But then he brought him an official flight organized by the Italian intelligence as one back to Libya Free man, To astonishment not only the ICC, but also of Italian and European public opinion.

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The Italian government said it had to release the alleged war criminal because the correct legal procedure had not been followed. However, further investigations suggest that the state of Almasri not only avoid with Libya, a crucial partner when restricting migration streams, which is not only the right -wing government of Italy, but also the EU.

Now the ICC Italy has asked to explain its actions with a period of today [March 17] Provide an initial answer. This is the first time that the court has taken such a step against a European nation.

Despite this unprecedented action, Brussels is largely silent on the matter.

Brutal regime

Between at least 2015 and 2024, Almasri, according to the ICC, led the Mitiga prison, also known as Tripoli Reform and Rehabilitation Institution.

In this notoriously hard Libyan prison, Almasri is accused by the court to carry out war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder and rape.

The institution is mainly alleged terrorists and members of criminal organizations. Migrants were also recorded there.

Former inmates and Ngos said that Almasri ordered the order Summary explanations of prisoners.

The chief of police ordered the prisoners of pulling the corpses of others out of their cells and beating some inmates with a stick. He aimed particularly at Christians and atheists, said former inmates.

Local NGOs such as the National Committee for Human Rights in Libya have convicted alleged violence for years and demanded his arrest.

Wealth and power

Almasri is not only a Libyan state official who is accused of war crimes: he also seems to be exceptionally rich.

The Italian police found eight credit cards, more than 5,000 euros in cash, a Rolex watch and key cards for hotels in Milan and Bonn and an exclusive residence in Istanbul.

Almasri also wore business cards in English and Turkish, where he, as the “General Manager” of companies that are listed and listed for companies called al-Asale, according to Italian media reports.

In addition to his Libyan Pass, he had a Turkish identity card and a passport from the Republic of Dominica, a Caribbean island of the Commonwealth.

Both citizenships can be acquired from citizenship from citizenship, between $ 200,000 and $ 500,000. These programs aim to attract Ultrahohe net people: passes and tax breaks are available against local investments.

Although there is no evidence to prove that Almsri bought these citizens, he also knew family connections to one of the two country.

It is not entirely clear how Almasri came up with such an important role in the Libyan state apparatus. Libya has been running instability since the fall of Muammar Gaffafi in 2011 and is currently being headed by a non -supported government of national unity.

When the 2011 revolution broke out, Almasri was according to reports, chicken sellers were on the tripolism market.

But within a few years he had become an important player in the ranks of the Salafist Milizia Special deterrent (SDF).

Since Gaddafi's fall, “the successive Libyan governments have increasingly allowed [militias] Takeover of law enforcement functions, including arrests and detention; paid them salaries; And provided them with devices and uniforms, ”says a UN report.

The SDF militia has developed into a state-managed body called Dacot, which was commissioned to fight terrorism and organized crime.

Dacot was defined in 2023 by the United Nations expert committee as one of the “important actors for a future political process” in the country.

This is due to the fact that it also controls the local authorities who are likely to play a key role in the organization of future elections “.

With his connections to the body, Almasri therefore remains an important part of the fragile state infrastructure in Libya.

Italy's interest in Libya

Is this role in the state infrastructure why Italy made Almasris return from the International Court?

Meloni and her government said that Almasri was released because the correct procedure had not been followed in his arrest, with the police held the man sought before receiving an official request from the Ministry of Justice.

They said he was deported immediately on a charter flight because he was a public security risk.

But others in the country have pointed out that Rome does not want to do anything to destabilize the fragile situation in Libya and therefore possibly possibly Increase illegal migration About the Mediterranean.

Marco Minniti, a former Democratic Interior Minister who signed a memorandum with Tripolis in 2017 to support stability in Libya, said: “It was clear” that Almasri had been deported with national security rather than public security.

“I would have used the argument of national security right from the start,” he told the Italian media.

The echo of the Almasri case reached to Brussels, but the EU institutions were careful to comment on the incident.

So far, the European Commission has only explained that “the EU supports the International Criminal Court” and asks the Member States to work with the corporation “by the quick execution of outstanding arrest warrants”.

“Dirty hands”

Analysts support the view that Almasri has been deported for political reasons, and the lack of EU measures is because Brüssel's goals actually match Rome to ensure stability in North Africa in order to control the migration currents.

“That is shameful. It is the first time that a European country is exposed to not cooperated procedures before the ICC. “

“In fact, the EU has often made its hands dirty as dirty as it decided to support and work together Responsible for human rights violations, ”said Kelly Petillo from the Think Tank of the European Council for Foreign Relations.

She said, “There was synergies and orientation” between Italian and European politics in Libya in the past decade, which indicates an EU memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia, which was reflected by Italy in 2017 with Libya. The EU is now considering such an agreement with Libya for civil servants.

Cristina Corsini from the NGO lawyers for justice in Libya said: “There is no acceptable explanation” for Italian actions in the case of Almasri.

“I think it was a political decision, but it is a political decision that violated the legal obligation of Italy under international law. I think the ICC chamber will find that before the procedure, ”she said.

This could lead to the procedure until the Assembly of State Parties and or the United Nations Security Council. Only at this point could concrete steps like sanctions against Italy be concrete, although this remains unlikely.

The main consequence of the ICC action against Italy for Corsini is “shame”.

“That is shameful. It is The first time That a European country is not being cooperated before the ISTGH, ”she said.

For Corsini, the case is a worrying sign that Italy “returned to the ICC” and makes decisions based on its own political goals and not on international agreements, which indicates that it was “above the law”.

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