Italian authorities have arrested a senior member of Libya’s judicial police in Turin, acting on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes accusations, a source revealed on Tuesday.
The man, identified by Italian media as Njeem Osama Elamsry (also known as Osama Njeem in Libyan government records), was apprehended in a hotel after a tip from Interpol.
Elamsry, who previously managed a migrant detention center in Tripoli and was affiliated with Libya’s Special Deterrence Force, is accused of involvement in abuses at detention centers.
His arrest has sparked renewed criticism of agreements between Italy, the EU, and Libyan authorities to prevent migrant sea crossings, which have faced heavy scrutiny from the UN, human rights groups, and charities like Doctors Without Borders for their role in facilitating abuse and exploitation of migrants.
