The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended, in statements reported by the Associated Press on Saturday, the decision to deport the head of the judicial police in Libya, Osama Njeem, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meloni also confirmed that she would request clarifications from the ICC.
Meloni told Italian media during her visit to Saudi Arabia: "The court must explain why it took months to issue this arrest warrant at a time when Osama crossed three European countries." She added: "I will ask the international court for clarification."
Meloni pointed out that Osama Njeem was released based on a decision by the Court of Appeal in Rome, not by the government, noting that the use of a government plane to return him to Tripoli was due to the fact that he was considered dangerous, which ruled out his return on a commercial plane.
Meloni was criticized by the Italian political class and human rights organizations, demanding that she appear before parliament to explain the reasons for releasing the head of the judicial police in Libya.
The International Criminal Court requested clarification from Rome regarding the release of Njeem without prior warning or consultation with it, after it issued an arrest warrant against him on January 18, 2025.
