Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has criticised his country’s judiciary after it summoned Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and government officials over the controversial deportation of Libyan police officer Osama Njeem.
Tajani said the government was facing a “treacherous attack from the judiciary,” comparing the situation to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s legal troubles in 1994, when he was summoned by prosecutors in Naples while presiding over a UN summit on crime. His remarks were reported by Corriere della Sera and later quoted by the Italian news agency Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA).
On Tuesday, Meloni confirmed that she is under investigation by Italian prosecutors alongside Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and State Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano. They are accused of embezzlement and aiding and abetting in connection to Njeem’s release and deportation. However, Meloni stressed that under Italian law, an investigation does not imply guilt or guarantee formal charges.
“I will not be blackmailed or intimidated,” Meloni declared in a video posted on Facebook. “I will continue to push for the change and improvement of Italy, which is why some want to see me undermined.”
Njeem, who was briefly detained in Italy under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for crimes against humanity, was later freed by an appeals court in Rome. Following the ruling, he was deported to Libya on a flight operated by Italian intelligence services.
The move has sparked backlash, with critics accusing Italy of prioritising political ties with Libya over legal commitments to the ICC. Meloni defended the decision, citing national security concerns and questioning the timing of the ICC’s warrant, given that Njeem had travelled through multiple European countries before his arrest.
