Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced yesterday in a statement posted on her Facebook profile that a judicial investigation has been opened against her over the release of a high-ranking Libyan police officer, for whom the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an international arrest warrant on February 18 for crimes committed in a Libyan prison. The topic is leading today for all Italian media, including ANSA, RAI News, “Corriere della Sera“, Sky TG24, TGCom 24, “Stampa“, “Repubblica“ etc.
Meloni said in a video message posted on the social network "Facebook" that she is suspected of aiding and abetting a crime. She said she is also suspected of violating the law, defined in Italian law as "the actions of a public official or person responsible for a public service who embezzles or misuses money or other benefits at his disposal". The investigation into these alleged crimes was launched against Meloni due to the decision of Italian authorities to release Libyan citizen Osama Almasri Najim from custody on January 21. The investigation also concerns Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedozzi and Alfredo Mantovano, Undersecretary of State at the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, also responsible for matters related to the security of the Republic, cybersecurity and anti-drug trafficking policy.
In the statement, Meloni recounted the events surrounding the release of the Libyan citizen. She said that the ICC issued an international arrest warrant for this man after months of deliberation. Meloni noted that, by a strange coincidence, the ICC did so when the Libyan was already in Italy, after having been completely undisturbed in three other European countries that are also members of the ICC for 12 days. ANSA recalls that these three countries were the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany. The request for the arrest of the Libyan, made by the ICC prosecutor's office, was not, however, transmitted to the Italian Ministry of Justice, as required by law, Meloni explained. Therefore, the Court of Appeal in Rome decided not to validate this request and released the Libyan after two days in custody in an Italian prison. However, at that time, the government, in particular the Minister of the Interior, considered that the Libyan posed a danger to the public of Italy and, instead of letting him roam freely on Italian territory, decided to return him to Libya on a special flight, as is practiced in other similar cases. For this reason, Meloni explained, she and her colleagues are now under investigation.
In the statement in which Meloni personally announced that she and members of her cabinet were under investigation, she explained that this investigation was initiated following a tip-off from Luigi Ligotti, a former left-wing politician and lawyer. Ligotti is known for defending repentant high-ranking mafia figures and for being close to former Italian Prime Minister and former European Commission President Romano Prodi. Prodi has recently been critical of Meloni's government, and Meloni criticized Prodi at the annual "Atreyu" conference of her "Italian Brothers" party in Rome last December. At the time, Meloni suggested that under Prodi, the Italian government had been subject to external orders, unlike now, when it does not act on orders from anyone. These insinuations were made in the context of accusations by the center-left that Meloni was too close to Elon Musk, which could harm national interests.
Announcing the investigation against her, Meloni said that the letter of information about him had been addressed to her by the Republican Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi. She recalled that this is the same prosecutor in the case against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini, who was tried in Palermo for having, several years ago, in his capacity as Minister of the Interior, temporarily prevented migrants rescued by an NGO ship from disembarking on the Italian coast. In the case, the prosecution had requested a 6-year prison sentence for Salvini, but he was acquitted at the end of last year.
At the end of the statement, Meloni said that what she said about herself yesterday is still valid today. “I do not give in to blackmail, I do not let myself be intimidated. Perhaps this is why I am disliked by those who do not want Italy to change and become better, but also and above all because of this I intend to move forward on the path in defense of Italians, especially when the security of the nation is threatened. With my head held high and without fear". These words of hers are quoted today by all Italian media.
The case of the Libyan has been in the focus of attention of the Italian media for days and has generated criticism from the opposition and human rights activists towards the government. Meloni had to answer questions about the case even during his official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Who is Almasri? A number of media outlets are trying to answer this question today.
First, his name is spelled in several different ways in the Italian media. As Osama Almasri Najim, Osama Almasri Njiim, Najim Osama Almasri, Njiim Elmasri Osama, or as Njiim Osama Almasri Habish. On the website of the International Criminal Court, in the information about the arrest warrant for the Libyan dated January 18, he is called Njiim Elmasri Osama, specifying that he is also known as Osama Almasri Njiim. Meloni herself calls the Libyan "Citizen Almasri", and in Italian media the whole affair is known as the "Almasri Case".
What position does the Libyan hold?
Summarized based on information in various Italian media, Almasri is a Libyan general, head of the "Mitiga" prison in Tripoli. In the information about the arrest warrant issued against him on the ICC website, Almasri is described as being responsible for prison facilities in Tripoli. According to Meloni herself, he is the head of the judicial police in Tripoli. According to "Amnesty International", Almasri was nominated in 2021 to the position of director of the Institute for Reform and Rehabilitation of the Tripoli Judicial Police. In this position, he was responsible for a number of prisons, including "Mitiga", but also prisons in Judaea, Ruwaimy and Aim Zara, says "Quotidiano Nacional". According to ANSA, "Internazionale" and "ASKA News", Almasri is the head of the RADA forces, created in 2011 to fight against Muammar Gaddafi's army, and a year later they built the "Mitiga" detention center, which became the largest prison in western Libya, where at least 5,140 people were detained between February 2015 and March 2024. There is also conflicting information about what exactly RADA is. According to some publications, it is a militia. According to others, it is a Special Forces for Dissuasion. According to third sources, the full name of the RADA force is “The Libyan State Apparatus for the Suppression of Terrorism and Organized Crime“. According to some sources, Almasri is simply a high-ranking leader in these forces, not their leader.
According to a number of Italian media outlets, Almasri is wanted by the ICC for crimes in the “Mitiga” prison, which resulted in between 32 and 34 victims. There were also 22 cases of sexual abuse there, with his youngest victim being a 5-year-old child, ANSA recalls. The information on the ICC website about the arrest warrant issued for Almasri refers to a search for crimes against people imprisoned for religious reasons, being atheists or Christians, against people perceived as opponents of the RADA forces, or against people suspected of immoral behavior or homosexuality, as well as against people suspected of being supporters of other armed groups. The crimes were committed personally by Almasri, or were ordered by him personally, or were committed with his assistance by members of the RADA forces, the ICC website says.
Almasri was arrested in a hotel in Turin on January 19, the day after the ICC issued the arrest warrant. He was in Turin to watch the match between the teams “Juventus“ and “Milan“ the day before, Italian publications recall. On Italian territory, Almasri was driving a rental car, for which he had undertaken to return it to the relevant company that had rented it to him at Rome's Fiumicino airport. On January 21, however, the Court of Appeal in Rome ruled that Almasri should be released from custody. The reason for this was a procedural error made during the Libyan's arrest, due to which the Rome Court of Appeal did not validate the request of the ICC prosecutor's office for his arrest.
The Rome Court of Appeal was seized after Almasri's arrest in Turin, because it is this court that is generally the competent judicial authority in Italy when it comes to cooperation between the country and the ICC, Sky TG 24 points out. The Turin police officers who carried out the arrest acted on the basis of the legislation on arrests for the purpose of subsequent extradition abroad. But according to the Rome Court of Appeal, they should have applied two other pieces of legislation that regulate cooperation with the ICC. These laws stipulate that before an arrest of a person wanted by the ICC is carried out, a conversation must take place between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Rome Court of Appeal. This means that the Turin police could not have arrested the Libyan without the permission of the Minister of Justice, who had received an official request for such an arrest from the ICC magistrates. Since this procedure was not followed, the Court of Appeal in Rome ruled that the Libyan should be released. In the meantime, however, the Minister of Justice could have found a way out of the situation by allowing the arrest procedure to continue, but he did nothing of the kind, the media outlet commented.
According to the Association of Italian Magistrates, on January 21, the Libyan was released due to Nordio's inertia. According to Meloni, it was the judges who made the decision, not her government, ANSA and Sky TG 24 indicate. Almasri spent the two days he was behind bars in the “Valette“ prison in Turin.
After being released, but declared a danger to society, the Libyan was returned to Libya on an Italian secret service plane. Upon landing in Tripoli, he was greeted as a true hero. The ICC demanded an explanation from Italy about what happened and said it had not been informed that Almasri would be released.
Regarding the Libyan's release, on January 22, Agence France-Presse recalled that Italy has close ties with the internationally recognized government in Tripoli. In 2017, Rome signed an agreement with Libya that sparked controversy, Agence France-Presse reported. This deal was negotiated during the government of center-left Paolo Gentiloni. According to the agreement, Rome provides Tripoli with funding and training for Libyan forces fighting migrant trafficking. In return, these forces prevent migrants from leaving the Libyan coast for Europe, and if they intercept migrants who have already set off there, they return them to Libya and often throw them in prison there. Meloni's right-wing government renewed the deal with Libya, despite criticism from migrant organizations, Agence France-Presse recalls.
A possible trial in The Hague against Almasri could draw unwanted attention to Italy's migration policies and its support for the Libyan coast guard, which it funds to prevent migrants from leaving the country, the Associated Press noted on January 22.
The media outlets Sky TG24, ANSA, RAI News, “Corriere della Sera“, TG com 24, “La Sette“ and others also summarize the reactions of politicians from the ruling majority and politicians from the opposition in Italy to the news of the investigation against Meloni and three members of her cabinet over the “Almasri Case“.
Meloni immediately received the support of the majority forces. Education Minister Giovanni Valditara expressed full solidarity with those under investigation and said that it was urgent to restore a clear separation of powers in Italy. He recalled that the protection of national security is the responsibility of the sovereign decisions of the government. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said that he was very surprised by the news of the investigation and said that this measure raises many questions and bewilderment, not only because of the moment in which it is being taken, but also because of its consequences at the institutional level. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the news of the investigation absurd and recalled that this is another attempt by the magistrates to poison the political, institutional and social climate. He recalled that he had already spoken some time ago about opposition coming from the magistrates to the work of the ruling government. According to the Minister of Family Affairs Eugenia Roccella, the Italians elected Meloni to power so that there would finally be a strong push for real change in the country and so that Italy would also receive the role it deserves internationally. But there are also people in Italy who want to preserve the status quo and their privileges, to whom such a change would harm, and that is why they are acting against the government. Luca Cipriani, the Minister for Parliamentary Relations, expressed full solidarity with Meloni and the other people under investigation, describing what happened as worrying and saying that the government was continuing its work with its head held high. The Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in Meloni's government, Antonio Tajani, who is the leader of the center-right party "Forza Italia", described the news of the investigation as a decision that looks like a punitive measure for the judicial reform planned in Italy, ANSA and "Corriere della Sera" note. The Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister in Meloni's government - Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right party “Lega“ described the start of the investigation as a disgrace and demanded immediate judicial reform. This reform provides for the separation of the careers of judges and prosecutors - a step that Italian magistrates perceive as paving the way for control of the judiciary by the executive branch, commented ANSA. Salvini recalled that the investigation was initiated by the same prosecutor who accused him of kidnapping migrants.
The leader of the center-left opposition Democratic Party, Elie Schlein, recalled that since Almasri's release, she has been demanding that Meloni come to parliament and explain why a torturer with an arrest warrant issued by the ICC was released. Now if Meloni has nothing to hide, she must give explanations, said former Prime Minister and leader of the “5 Star Movement“ Giuseppe Conte. He recalled that he himself was the subject of an investigation over the government's actions during the coronavirus pandemic and that the investigation was eventually shelved. Conte accused Meloni of now trying to frame the investigation as a conspiracy against her and portray herself as a victim. He said she always acts like this. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leader of the centrist “Italia Viva“ party, described the decision to release and repatriate Almasri as politically wrong. He said he was the first to describe it as madness. But he added that Meloni is not guilty at this stage until investigators prove her guilt. The leader of the centrist “Action“ party, Carlo Calenda, called Almasri's release “a disaster”. The leader of the left-wing environmental group "Green Left Alliance", Angelo Bonelli, called on Meloni to stop playing the victim and talking about imaginary enemies. He said that the government had broken the law by releasing the Libyan and that Meloni may claim not to be blackmailed, but she had succumbed to the Libyans' blackmail.
Meloni is betting on turning the investigation into a referendum against the judges, notes “Stampa“. “Repubblica“ quotes lawyer Ligotti, who says he filed the report as an outraged citizen. However, according to the ruling party, the investigation is revenge for the judicial togas against the government, the publication adds. “Corriere della Sera“ and “Messagerro“ quote Barbara Berlusconi, one of the daughters of the late four-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who says the investigation against Meloni reminds her of the investigation against her father in 1994, when he was just breaking into the Italian political landscape as the leader of a new political force. At that time, an investigation was opened against him for alleged corruption of public officials. “Avenire“ emphasizes that Meloni announced the news of the investigation herself yesterday, preventing the relevant authorities from reporting it and creating a surprise. This is part of her strategy for action in the case. The aim of this is to provoke an excited reaction from her supporters and to portray herself as a victim, the publication comments. “Manifesto“ defines Meloni's video statement, in which she announced the news of the investigation against herself, as a show on her part, through which she justified herself and the release of the Libyan. “Sole 24 ore“ and “Giorno“ emphasize the opposition's call for Meloni not to hide, but to explain to parliament why she considers the actions related to the release of the Libyan to be correct. According to “Giornale“ The Ministerial Tribunal, which is responsible for examining cases related to investigations of Italian ministers, will now have the floor. It will have 90 days to rule. For the ruling majority, the investigation against Meloni and her ministers is a use of the judicial system for political purposes, notes Folio. Tempo quotes the lawyer Ligotti, who initiated the investigation, according to whom he performed an act owed to his people by giving the signal for the initiation of such a procedure. Some elements in the development of the case with Almasri's release indicate a desire on the part of the government not to hand him over to the court in The Hague, writes Fato Quotidiano. Libero Quotidiano praises Meloni for having emphasized in her statement yesterday that the investigation was something she would have wanted to clarify things. The publication commented that Meloni and members of her cabinet are being investigated for choices they made, driven by national interests. “Quotidiano Nationale“ notes that the signal from the lawyer Ligotti, who initiated the investigation, was filed as early as January 23.
A number of publications recall that the news of the investigation followed Meloni's visit to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which she said was very productive. The investigation was also announced at a time when Italy renewed the implementation of the deal on outsourced migrant centers with Albania, blocked by Italian judges. The investigation was also launched a few days after Meloni returned from Trump's inauguration ceremony, to which she was the only invited and present European leader and because of which there was talk in Italian and Western media that Meloni could turn Italy into a bridge between Washington and Brussels or help the EU avoid imposing American tariffs on European goods, as Trump plans. The investigation also began a few days after Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal Musk, was in Rome. During this visit, Kimbal Musk spoke with Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and met with Meloni herself and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Yesterday it became clear that Elon Musk's foundation, which is close to Meloni and is part of the new Trump administration, will allocate $ 3 million for research related to ancient Roman history, Sky TG 24 reports. The investigation was launched a few days after Italy achieved the release of journalist Cecilia Sala from Iranian prison, which was perceived as a diplomatic success for the government. After that, Italy released from Italian prison an Iranian posing as a scientist, but wanted by the US for his alleged role in a drone attack on a base in Jordan, in which three American soldiers died. The investigation also followed the resumption of flights between Rome and Tripoli by the Italian airline ITA, which is seen as an indication that Italy considers the situation in Libya to be normalized. Last year, during a visit to Libya, Meloni also emphasized deepening cooperation in the fields of energy, entrepreneurship and migration, Italian media recall. On this occasion, “Domani“, for example, writes that Italy's interests in Libya extend from oil to migration.
And the publication "Open Online" focuses on something curious - Meloni's hairstyle. It has been changed for a few days, with her hairdresser Antonio Pruno previously announcing that this is happening as Meloni begins a new stage in her life and career. This change was just noticed by the Italian media and the news of the initiated investigation against Meloni was reported.