LIBYAN TORTURE VICTIM SUES ITALIAN PM MELONI, MINISTERS NORDIO AND PIANTEDOSI FOR ABETTING

Lam Magok Biel Ruei, a victim and witness to the torture inflicted by Tripoli's judicial police chief Osama Almasri, has filed a complaint against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ministers of Interior Matteo Piantedosi and Justice Carlo Nordio. Magok alleges aiding and abetting following the controversial release of the Libyan official, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In his complaint filed with the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office on Monday, Magok stated, "The actions of Carlo Nordio, Matteo Piantedosi, and Giorgia Meloni removed the Libyan torturer Osama Almasri from justice." Magok, a native of South Sudan, is a direct victim of Almasri's alleged tortures, with Almasri himself accused by the ICC of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Last week, Magok, alongside other witnesses, spoke at a press conference in the Chamber of Deputies about the atrocities he endured in Libyan prisons.

"The Italian Government Made Me a Victim a Second Time"

Magok expressed profound disappointment, saying, "I was a victim and witness to these atrocities, horrors I've already recounted to the International Criminal Court." He added that the Italian government "made me a victim a second time, nullifying the chance to obtain justice for all people, like me, who survived his violence, as well as for those he killed, and for those who will continue to suffer torture and abuse by his hand or under his command."

For Magok, justice seemed within reach after Almasri's arrest in Turin on January 20. However, this hope was crushed the very next day by the decision to repatriate the Libyan official, notably on a state plane. This detail was highlighted in the complaint filed by lawyer Luigi Li Gotti, who initiated the legal action against Meloni, Nordio, and Piantedosi.

Grounds for the Complaint Against Italian Officials

The complaint asserts that "an official communique from the International Criminal Court dated January 22, 2025, demonstrates that Italian authorities were not only duly informed of the arrest warrant's operability but were also involved in prior preventive consultation and coordination specifically aimed at ensuring the proper reception and implementation of the Court's request."

Furthermore, the complaint states that "the same communique also reports that the Italian authorities explicitly asked the International Criminal Court not to publicly comment on Almasri's arrest, thereby demonstrating their knowledge of it."

Magok and his legal counsel specifically underscored how "the inaction of the Minister of Justice, who could and should have requested the precautionary custody of the criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court, and the expulsion decree signed by the Minister of Interior, along with the immediate provision of a state flight to return the wanted person to Libya, allowed Almasri to evade arrest and return unpunished to his country of origin, thereby preventing his trial."

The Dynamics of Almasri's Release by Italy

Almasri was reportedly responsible for the Mitiga prison in Tripoli, where dozens of killings, acts of violence, and torture against detainees are alleged to have occurred. According to the ICC's dossier, this includes at least 34 murders and a sexual abuse case involving a minor.

The Libyan official had been in Europe since January 6, traveling through London, France, Belgium, and Germany. On January 16, he was stopped by police for a check in Munich. The following day, Interpol sent a notice to six states, alerting Italy to the man's intention to enter the country.

On January 18, after monitoring Almasri's movements, the ICC issued an international arrest warrant, leading to his arrest by DIGOS in Turin the next day.

In the days that followed, Minister Nordio reportedly gave no instructions regarding precautionary custody, even in the face of requests and urgings from the Rome Court of Appeal. He also failed to subsequently inform the ICC of the release. Magok described this silence as "functional to Almasri's liberation."

Due to a procedural error—the police's failure to consult the Minister of Justice before proceeding with Almasri's arrest—the Court of Appeal did not validate the arrest on January 21, releasing the Libyan.

Almasri was then subjected to an expulsion and repatriation decree, which Minister Piantedosi justified by citing the individual's "dangerousness." The ICC has since accused Italy of failing to comply with its obligation to cooperate as a member state.

This incident raises serious questions about international cooperation in prosecuting alleged war criminals. What are your thoughts on the responsibility of states in such cases?