The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday published the arrest warrant issued by its Prosecutor against Osama Najim, a senior official in Libya’s Judicial Police, listing 12 charges including murder and rape that await him upon appearing before the court.
Najim, who oversaw prisons in Tripoli where thousands were held for extended periods, is suspected of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes—among them intentional killings, torture, rape, and sexual violence—dating back to February 2015, according to the ICC’s official website.
The arrest warrant outlines the war crimes and crimes against humanity attributed to Najim under the Rome Statute, including: violations of personal dignity, cruel treatment, torture, rape and sexual violence, intentional homicide, unlawful imprisonment, persecution, among others. These crimes were allegedly committed at Mitiga Prison from February 15, 2015 onward.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber concluded that these crimes were committed by Najim personally, on his orders, or with assistance from members of the Special Deterrence Force (Radaa), officially known as the Deterrence Apparatus for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
In coordination with the Office of the Prosecutor and under the authority of the Pre-Trial Chamber, the ICC Registry submitted arrest requests to six State Parties, including Italy.
The court also transmitted intelligence regarding Najim’s suspected location and movements within the Schengen Area. Concurrently, it requested INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice, as per standard procedure.
According to the ICC, Najim was located in Turin, Italy, in the early hours of Sunday, January 19. Italian authorities successfully arrested him and held him pending completion of national procedures related to his arrest and handover. The ICC declined to comment further at the time, respecting Italy’s request for confidentiality.
The court noted, however, that Najim was unexpectedly released and allowed to return to Libya on January 21. The ICC has since sought clarification from the Italian authorities regarding the reasons behind his release, reminding all State Parties of their obligation to fully cooperate with the court in its investigations and prosecutions.
