A man who says he is a victim and
witness of the abuse allegedly committed by Libyan general Osama
Almasri has filed a criminal complaint to the Rome prosecutor's
office, alleging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Justice Minister
Carlo Nordio and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi aided and
abetted the suspected war criminal, judicial sources said
Monday.
The alleged victim, Lam Magok Biel Ruei, filed the complaint
claiming Nordio, Piantedosi and Meloni "helped the Libyan
torturer evade justice", which was drafted by attorney Francesco
Romeo.
Last month, attorney Luigi Li Gotti also filed a criminal
complaint against Meloni, Nordio, Piantedosi and cabinet
secretary with the intelligence brief Alfredo Mantovano over the
January 21 release and flight back to Libya of Almasri, after he
was arrested two days earlier in Turin on an International
Criminal Court arrest warrant.
The complaint filed Monday, which is set to be examined by the
State Attorney's Office in Rome, denounced the "inertia of the
justice minister, who could and should have requested the
pre-trial arrest of the criminal wanted by the International
Criminal Court - and the expulsion decree signed by the interior
minister, with the immediate provision of a State flight to take
the wanted man back to Libya, which allowed Almasri to escape
arrest and return with impunity to his country of origin,
preventing a trial against him".
The lawyer of the alleged victim, who is currently staying at a
facility in Rome run by migrants' rights organization Baobab
Experience, spoke about "the existence of an official statement
from the International Criminal Court from January 22 2025 which
demonstrates that Italian authorities were not only
appropriately informed that the arrest warrant had been issued,
but also involved in previous preventive consultations and
coordination aimed at ensuring they would receive the court's
request and implement it".
The same statement, said the attorney, "reported that Italian
authorities had expressly asked the International Criminal Court
not to publicly comment on Almasri's arrest, therefore showing
they were aware of it".
Libyan police chief Almasri, the director of Tripoli's notorious
Mitiga detention centre who is wanted by the International
Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity and war
crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence,
allegedly committed in Libya from February 2015 onwards, was
freed and flown back to Libya after an apparent technical issue
with his case.
Almasri was flown back to Tripoli on a State flight.
Piantedosi said he was expelled from Italy because he is a
dangerous man.
The first complaint against the premier and other government
officials over Almasri's release has been sent to the Tribunal
of Ministers, which will need to decide whether the case needs
to be shelved or pursued.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
