A victim and witness of alleged crimes committed by Libyan General Osama Njeem Almasri has filed a criminal complaint against Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
The complaint, submitted to the Rome prosecutor’s office, accuses the Italian government of helping a suspected war criminal escape justice by allowing Almasri to return to Libya.
The alleged victim, Lam Magok Biel Ruei, filed the complaint through his lawyer, Francesco Romeo, claiming that Italian authorities knowingly enabled Almasri’s release and return to Libya, despite his arrest under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
This follows a similar legal challenge filed last month by attorney Luigi Li Gotti, which also named Meloni, Nordio, Piantedosi, and intelligence official Alfredo Mantovano as responsible for Almasri’s escape from prosecution.
According to the complaint, Italy’s Justice Minister had the legal power to detain Almasri, but instead, the Interior Minister issued an expulsion order, allowing him to board a State flight back to Libya. The decision, the complaint argues, violated Italy’s international obligations and obstructed an ICC investigation into Almasri’s alleged crimes.
An official ICC statement from January 22, confirms that Italian authorities were fully aware of the arrest warrant and had engaged in prior discussions about its enforcement. Furthermore, the ICC revealed that Italy specifically requested the court not to publicly comment on Almasri’s arrest, a move that suggests deliberate efforts to cover up the situation.
Almasri, a senior Libyan police official and former director of Tripoli’s notorious Mitiga detention center, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence committed in Libya since February 2015.
Despite being arrested in Turin on January 19, he was unexpectedly freed just two days later, allegedly due to a procedural technicality, and was swiftly flown back to Tripoli on a government aircraft.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended the move, claiming that Almasri was expelled because he posed a serious security risk. However, legal experts and human rights organizations argue that his rapid release and deportation effectively shielded him from justice, reinforcing suspicions that Italy prioritized political interests over international law.
