Libya’s Chief of Judicial Police, Osama “Al Masri” Njeem, has returned to Libya after being arrested in Italy on January 19 under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Njeem’s release two days later was justified by the Italian government, which cited “inaccuracies” in the warrant. The ICC accuses Njeem of committing crimes in his role overseeing the Tripoli branch of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution, part of a network of detention centres run by the government-backed Special Defence Force (SDF).
Amnesty International identifies Njeem as a senior member of the Tripoli-based militia, the Deterrence Apparatus for Combatting Terrorism and Organised Crime (DACTO), which has been accused of widespread human rights violations. The group claims that DACTO is involved in severe abuses at the Mitiga prison in Tripoli, where detainees have been subjected to torture and other forms of mistreatment with impunity.
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The release of Njeem has sparked outrage among human rights organisations and political figures in Italy, who have condemned the decision as “outrageous” and “hypocritical”. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi initially defended the release, claiming Njeem posed a security risk to Italian society, but a week later, Italy’s justice minister clarified that the release was due to a legal technicality.
The ICC has accused Njeem of controlling several detention facilities in Tripoli, including Mitiga, Ain Zara, and al-Jadida, where thousands of people have reportedly been detained for prolonged periods. The controversy surrounding his release raises concerns over the possibility of accountability for alleged war crimes in Libya.
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