Nordio’s Chief of Staff Investigated Over Release of Libyan General

Rome: Justice Minister Carlo Nordio’s Chief of Staff, Giusy Bartolozzi, is under investigation by the Rome prosecutor’s office concerning Italy’s early 2023 release of a Libyan general wanted for war crimes, sources revealed on Tuesday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the case involves Njeem Osama Almasri, who was arrested on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant at a hotel in Turin on January 19 and was sent back to Tripoli on a State flight following his release on a technicality by a Rome appeals court on January 21. Almasri, head of Libya’s judicial police, faces accusations of torture, rape, and murder tied to his management of a detention center in Tripoli.

Nordio’s non-response to the Rome appeals court’s request to support the arrest led to Almasri’s release. The Tribunal of Ministers claims officials feared potential reprisals against Italian citizens and interests in Libya if Almasri were handed over to the ICC.

The Rome Tribunal of Ministers has submitted a request to parliament to prosecute Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and Cabinet Secretary Alfredo Mantovano over the incident. It is alleged that Bartolozzi provided an “unreliable and mendacious” account of the events when questioned by the Tribunal of Ministers.

The requests for prosecution of Nordio, Piantedosi, and Mantovano require parliament’s approval, where Premier Giorgia Meloni’s ruling center-right coalition holds a significant majority.