The arrest warrant issued by the
International Criminal Court (ICC) against Libyan official Osama
Almasri was in English and included a series of problematic
issues, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told the Lower House on
Wednesday.
Such problems made it impossible for the ministry to immediately
respond to the request issued by Rome's appeals court, which had
to rule on whether to validate Almasri's detention or release
him, he noted.
In particular, Nordio spoke about an "absolute uncertainty" in
the document, stressing that the dates in which certain crimes
were allegedly committed were wrong.
"It says starting from March 2016 but the introduction said
February 2011, which was when (late Libyan leader Muammar)
Gaddafi was still in power".
The justice minister also said he was disappointed by "some
magistrates who permitted themselves to question the ministry's
work without even reading the papers".
"Something like this can be forgiven to politicians but not to
those who, as their job, need to read documentation", he said,
adding that it was very hard to dialogue with "this part of the
judiciary, if they intervene in such a sloppy way".
"If this is the system to make us believe that our reforms need
to be slowed down…
"This part of the judiciary has united the majority like never
before, we will move ahead until the final reform", he said.
Last month, Rome's chief prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, notified
Premier Giorgia Meloni, Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo
Piantedosi and Cabinet Secretary with the intelligence brief
Alfredo Mantovano that the release and flight back to Libya of
Almasri after his detention on an International Criminal Court
arrest warrant were being looked at following a complaint by a
lawyer.
The Tribunal of Minister is examining the case.
Some members of the centre-right ruling coalition have alleged
it was a retaliatory move against a planned Constitutional
reform bill to separate the career paths of judges and
prosecutors, which has received the first green light in the
Lower House out of at least four necessary in Parliament.
Addressing the House, Nordio also spoke about the fact that he
did not respond to the appeals tribunal in Rome, which said in
court papers that it ordered Almasri's release on a technicality
after not hearing from the justice minister's office, which is
in charge of relations with the ICC.
"I think another initiative of mine would have been inadequate
and hasty towards the appeals court and failing to register
these anomalies would have shown lack of attention", he said.
"The ICC subsequently met on purpose to change half the
structure of the first document based on which I should have
issued the measure.
"It tried to make the change because it realized that it had
made a hasty mess.
"They made a mistake on such a solemn document.
"It is my intention to ask the ICC to justify the discrepancies
which I had to report as a duty", he added.
Rome's appeals court on January 21 ordered Almasri's release due
to a procedural error, according to court documents.
The arrest was not "preceded by talks with the justice minister,
who is in charge of relations with the International Criminal
Court", the appeals judges wrote motivating their decision.
The judges had informed Nordio's office on January 20,
immediately after receiving the case's file from Turin's central
police department that had arrested Almasri the previous day.
However, they had received no answer from the minister regarding
his detention, according to the papers, a silence that led to
Almasri's release.
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