A senior member of Libya’s judicial police, Najeem Osema Almasri Habish, received a hero’s welcome back home in Tripoli after being unexpectedly released from jail in Italy just two days after being arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Najeem was facing war crimes accusations at the ICC related to crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Libya since the 2011 civil war.
Video footage shared on social media showed Najeem being celebrated by supporters upon his return to Tripoli after being flown there directly from Turin by an Italian government aircraft. The Libyan Judicial Police expressed gratitude to everyone who helped secure Najeem’s release.
Italian media reported that Najeem was arrested in Turin after Italian authorities were tipped off that he was planning to attend a soccer game between Juventus and AC Milan. The release of Najeem was attributed to a legal technicality, as the arresting police failed to inform the justice ministry immediately as required.
Opposition politicians in Italy demanded an explanation from the justice ministry for releasing a man accused of war crimes by the ICC back to Libya. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticized the move in parliament, calling it hypocritical and indecent. The justice ministry and the court that ordered Najeem’s release did not comment on the case.
Najeem had managed a migrant detention center in Tripoli and was affiliated with the powerful military Special Deterrence Force in Libya. The release of Najeem echoes a recent high-profile case involving an Iranian businessman being released in Italy in exchange for an Italian journalist detained in Tehran.
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