On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that it had issued an arrest warrant for Osama Almasri Najim, the head of Libya’s judicial police, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This confirmation came a day after Italy released Najim, who was previously detained on Sunday in Turin based on the ICC’s warrant.
According to the ICC’s statement, the arrest of Najim was due to allegations of crimes including murder, rape, sexual violence, and torture that reportedly took place since February 15, 2015, at Tripoli’s Mitiga detention centre, where he was believed to be in charge. These acts were allegedly directed against detainees based on their religion, perceived “immoral behavior,” or their association with opposing armed groups.
After his arrest in a Turin hotel, following a tip from Interpol, Najim was unexpectedly released on Tuesday without the ICC being informed or consulted. The court expressed its concern over this development in their statement.