Libyan General Osama al-Masri Najim Arrested in Tripoli on War Crimes Charges

Libyan Brigadier General Osama Najim. CDJP/Kh

In Tripoli, Libyan General Osama al-Masri Najim has been arrested, sought by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Local law enforcement authorities confirmed the information.

Osama al-Masri Najim, the former head of Libya’s Judicial Police, is accused of torturing detainees, which led to the death of one inmate at Tripoli’s main prison.

In January, Italy drew criticism after Najim was detained in Turin on an ICC arrest warrant, but two days later he was released and sent back to Libya aboard a military aircraft. Later, in a statement by the Libyan prosecutor’s office, it emphasized that the investigation yielded new testimony about human rights violations against detainees in Tripoli’s main prison, who spoke of torture and cruel, degrading treatment.

“Human rights violations against detainees in Tripoli’s main prison who reported torture and cruel, degrading treatment”

Investigators found that Najim was involved in abuses against ten detainees and in the death of one of them. The arrest was linked to the presence of sufficient evidence to support charges, the prosecutor’s office said.

“There was sufficient evidence to support the charges”

The International Criminal Court continues to search for Najim on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as accusations of rape and murder. Earlier he was detained in Turin after a football match, but was later released. According to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the decision was linked to an alleged threat to national security.

Critics accuse the government of tolerating Libya, from which Italy depends on managing migratory pressure on the country’s shores. The International Criminal Court stated that Italy did not fulfill its Rome Statute obligations to execute the arrest warrant and transfer Najim while he was on Italian territory.

In response, the Rome prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into Meloni’s actions and three government officials regarding alleged involvement in crimes and misappropriation of state funds through the use of a military aircraft. The case was later closed.

In May, Libya officially recognized the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes on its territory, although the country is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Italian politicians reacted sharply to the event: former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the leader of the Five Star Movement called it a blow to the Meloni government. The Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein said that the arrest of al-Masri occurred in the context of the Italian government having previously released the suspect and sent him home; she called it an international disgrace and demanded apologies to the Italian people.

Context of the political situation in Libya

Since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been divided between the Government of National Accord in Tripoli, backed by the UN, and the eastern administration led by General Khalifa Haftar, which is backed by Russia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

Fighting in Libya had ceased by 2020, but real progress toward a lasting political settlement is not yet evident, and the country is increasingly dependent on external influence and diplomatic calculations in the region.

The arrest of Najim and the ICC’s involvement are drawing the attention of the international community: new investigations and diplomatic moves could influence Libya’s internal dynamics and its relations with the European Union and allies on the world stage.