The Attorney General’s Office reported today that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has ordered the detention of Osama Elmasry Njeem, head of the Operations and Judicial Security Department at the Tripoli Correctional and Rehabilitation Institution.
It said this comes in connection with incidents related to the violation of the institution’s inmates’ rights. The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that he is currently in pretrial detention.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office explained that the investigation procedures into the incidents attributed to Njeem were completed after receiving reports that 10 inmates had been subjected to torture and cruel and degrading treatment, resulting in the death of one inmate.
Background
It will be recalled that last July, the Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated investigation procedures against Njeem after the lifting of the procedural restrictions related to his case, in order to examine the crimes included in the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
The International Criminal Court had revealed that it had issued an arrest warrant, by a majority vote of its members, against Osama Njeem on 18 January, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.
It will also be recalled that Njeem was arrested by Italian authorities on 19 January this year in Italy. The ICC reported that on 21 January 2025, without prior notice or consultation with the ICC, Njeem was reportedly released from custody and transported back to Libya.
On 17 October the ICC found that Italy failed to comply in the case of Libyan wanted militia leader Osama Njeem with its international obligations under the Rome Statute, thereby preventing the ICC from exercising its functions and powers under the Statute.
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