The release of Libyan warlord Osama Njeem, also known as al-Masri, by Italian authorities has drawn widespread condemnation from the International Criminal Court (ICC), human rights organizations, and victims of his alleged crimes.
Njeem, wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder, torture, rape, and sexual violence, was arrested in Turin on Sunday but released by a Rome appeals court on Tuesday due to a procedural error. He was subsequently flown back to Libya aboard an Italian secret service plane.
David Yambio, a 27-year-old South Sudanese refugee and survivor of Njeem’s abuses, described the release as a “deep betrayal.” Yambio, who endured detention at Libya’s Mitiga prison from 2019 to 2020, had hoped Njeem’s arrest signaled a step toward justice.
“I felt a fleeting sense of justice when I heard of his arrest,” said Yambio, now an activist with the Refugees in Libya network. “This moment has been long-awaited by victims, but it was extinguished just as it began.”
Njeem leads the Tripoli branch of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution, a government-backed detention network linked to widespread abuses, including the exploitation of migrants for forced labor. Yambio criticized Italy and other European nations for failing to dismantle these human trafficking networks, accusing them of complicity in perpetuating abuses.
The ICC has called on Italy to clarify its handling of Njeem’s arrest, emphasizing that member states are obligated to fully cooperate with the court’s prosecutions. Human rights groups and opposition parties in Italy have also demanded an explanation for the court’s decision to block Njeem’s detention.
The case has highlighted the ongoing challenges of holding perpetrators accountable for human rights violations in Libya, where refugees and migrants continue to face exploitation, violence, and arbitrary detention.