InternationalNews

Investigation Opened Against Italian Prime Minister After Deportation of Libyan Wanted by the ICC

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced in a Facebook video on Tuesday that she and two of her ministers are under investigation following the deportation of a Libyan official. She accused the judiciary of using its power for political purposes, according to Agence France-Presse.

Osama Najim, the former director of the Mitiga detention center in Tripoli, has been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for charges of murder, rape, and torture since February 15, 2015, according to an arrest warrant issued by the court.

Najim was arrested ten days ago in a hotel in Turin under this warrant but was released a week ago by the Rome Court of Appeal due to procedural violations. He was then deported to Tripoli on a state-chartered plane.

Meloni, along with Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, is suspected of facilitating Najim’s release and deportation.

Meloni directly accused judges of exploiting their authority for political reasons, particularly Rome’s chief prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, who notified her of the investigation.

She pointed out that Lo Voi was previously the chief prosecutor in Palermo when Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was prosecuted for refusing to rescue migrants at sea during his tenure as interior minister in 2019. Salvini was later acquitted.

Meloni also noted that the complaint was filed by lawyer Luigi Li Gotti, who had previously defended several repentant mafia members and served as an undersecretary of justice in a center-left government led by Romano Prodi.

The opening of the investigation is a mandatory procedure following the complaint, allowing those under investigation to appoint legal representation.

The ICC has stated that Osama Al-Masri Najim is accused of crimes against detainees based on their religion, suspected “immoral behavior,” or affiliation with armed groups.

Meloni previously told Italian media: “The ICC must explain why it took months to issue this arrest warrant, despite Osama Al-Masri having traveled through three European countries.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button