Italy has freed a senior Libyan judicial police official, Najeem Osema Almasri Habish, who was arrested on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for war crimes accusations.
Habish, also known as Osama Njeem, was released due to a legal technicality, as the police failed to immediately inform the justice ministry of his arrest, as required.
Njeem was arrested in Turin on Sunday after a tip from Interpol and was welcomed by migrant rescue groups and human rights charities.
However, his release has sparked criticism, particularly from Italian migrant rescue charity Mediterranea, which had hailed his arrest.
Njeem managed a migrant detention center in Tripoli and was affiliated with the powerful military Special Deterrence Force.
His release raises concerns about Italy’s deals with Libya to stop migrant sea crossings, which have been criticized by the United Nations, human rights experts, and international charities such as Doctors Without Borders.
