Premier Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday she received notice of investigation over Libyan judicial police commander Najeem Osema Almasri Habish. The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants him for war crimes.
Almasri was arrested in Italy, released on a technicality, and flown back to Tripoli aboard an Italian secret service plane.
An Italian lawyer said Tuesday the probe was a “due act” after he filed a complaint with police.
“I filed a complaint, hypothesising crimes (of aiding and abetting and embezzlement of public funds), and now as a necessary act, it is certainly not an anomalous fact, the Rome Prosecutor’s Office has entered the Prime Minister and the ministers in the register,” said lawyer Luigi Li Gotti. On 23 January, he sent a complaint to the Rome Prosecutor’s Office over Almasri’s release.
“Now the Prosecutor’s Office will have to make its assessments and decide how to proceed, whether to identify other cases or send everything to the Court of Ministers.
“I limited myself to filing a complaint.”
The probe has been sent to the court of ministers, sources said Tuesday.
“In relation to the indicated procedure, the documents have been forwarded to the Board for ministerial crimes of the Court of Ministers,” said the communication of “registration in the register of crime reports,” signed by prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi. The notice was issued against Meloni, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano.
Possible aiding and abetting
Meloni said she received notice of a probe into possible aiding and abetting and embezzlement of public funds. The notice came from prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, who unsuccessfully prosecuted Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini for allegedly abducting migrants under his 2019 closed ports policy.
She said the same notice had been sent to Nordio, Piantedosi, and Mantovano.
The ICC has demanded an explanation for the release of Almasri. He faces charges of alleged rape, murder, and brutalising migrants in a Tripoli jail.
The opposition accused Meloni of breaking her vow to target migrant traffickers by land, sea, and air. They linked his release to Rome’s deal with Tripoli, which funds the Libyan coast guard in exchange for alleged illegal migrant pushbacks.
Meloni said Tuesday she was “not going to be intimidated” and reiterated her pledge: “I am not susceptible to blackmail.” She also called the timing of the ICC warrant “curious.”
“Curiously, the Court issued the warrant precisely when this person was about to enter Italian territory after having peacefully stayed in three other European states for 12 days,” she said.
Salvini and Tajani defend Meloni over probe
Deputy Premiers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini condemned the probe against Meloni and other officials.
Tajani said it seemed like “spite” by the justice system amid government plans to reform the sector. Salvini called it a “disgrace” and argued it highlighted the need to separate judges’ and prosecutors’ career paths. Magistrates claim this reform would enable executive control of the judiciary.
Tajani, leader of centre-right Forza Italia (FI) and foreign minister, posted on X: “I am on the side of Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Piantedosi, Carlo Nordio, and Alfredo Mantovano. I defend the separation of powers and condemn choices that sound like a reprisal for the reform of justice.”
Salvini, leader of the right-wing League and transport minister, posted: “Giorgia Meloni investigated for the repatriation of the Libyan Almasri. Notices of investigation for Alfredo Mantovano, Matteo Piantedosi, and Carlo Nordio.
“Shame, shame, shame.
“The same prosecutor who accused me in Palermo (of abducting migrants) is now trying again in Rome with the centre-right government.
“Justice reform, immediately!”
