Libyan Judicial Police Head Detained and Released in Italy Amid ICC Warrant

Rome: The head of the Libyan judicial police, Najeem Osema Almasri Habish, who also serves as the director of Tripoli’s Mitiga detention centre, was reportedly present in Germany last Saturday, a day prior to his arrest in Turin by Italian authorities. Almasri was detained based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant concerning alleged mistreatment of migrants at the detention centre.

According to Ansa News Agency, Almasri visited a car rental service in Germany and inquired about driving a rented vehicle to Fiumicino airport near Rome on the same day the ICC issued an arrest warrant for him. An official from the Hague-based court subsequently alerted a security official at the Italian embassy in the Netherlands, notifying Italian authorities about Almasri’s impending travel to Italy, leading to his arrest on Sunday evening.

Almasri has since returned to Libya following his release by Italian authorities on Tuesday. The circumstances surrounding his release after the arrest remain unclear, and further developments in the case are anticipated as international judicial processes continue.