Africa05 November, 20253 min read
Libya Detains Police Officer Osama Almasri Njeem for Torture and Murder of Detainees at Mitiga Prison
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Osama Almasri Najim was detained in Tripoli for war crimes and torture of detainees. Najim was previously arrested in Italy under an ICC warrant but released and returned to Libya.
8 outlets told this the same way.
Detention of Libyan Police Official
Libya has detained Osama Almasri Njeem in Tripoli on allegations tied to serious abuses at the city’s main detention facility. Sources describe him as a senior police official and former police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court. The Arab Weekly reports that Libya announced the detention of Osama Almasri Njeem, accused by the ICC of involvement in torture, murder, and rape of detainees at Tripoli’s Mitiga Prison since 2015.
“Libya has announced the detention of senior police officer Osama Almasri Njeem, who faces allegations of involvement in torture, murder, and rape of detainees at Tripoli’s Mitiga Prison since 2015, according to the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
The attorney general confirmed he is in pre-trial detention with sufficient evidence. West Asian outlets Arab News and The New Arab report that Osama Almasri Njeem, a former police chief wanted by the ICC for war crimes and prisoner torture, has been detained by the Libyan prosecutor’s office and ordered to remain in pretrial detention.
His questioning is tied to abuse at Tripoli’s main prison, including at least one death from torture. African Insider similarly reports his detention and ICC wanted status, noting questioning over alleged abuse of 10 detainees at the prison, including one who died due to torture.
Najim/Njeem's Arrest and Release
Several outlets detail Najim/Njeem’s earlier arrest in Italy on an ICC warrant and his rapid return to Libya, a move that triggered political reverberations in Rome. The Arab Weekly reports he was arrested in Italy in January on international war crimes charges but was quickly released and repatriated by the Italian government, sparking controversy. The same source adds that Italy’s parliament rejected a request to lift immunity for three ministers involved, thereby shoring up political support for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
African Insider and The New Arab state he was released by an Italian court and returned to Libya. They also note that subsequent investigations into Italian officials were later dropped. Asian outlet 24 News HD likewise notes the Italian investigations were eventually dropped after his return.
Libya War Crimes Case Overview
The case sits at the intersection of Libya’s domestic judicial processes and international accountability efforts. The Arab Weekly notes that the ICC has been investigating war crimes in Libya since 2011. Libya recently accepted the court’s authority despite not being a party to its founding treaty.
“The ICC has been investigating war crimes in Libya since 2011, and Libya recently accepted the court’s authority despite not being a party to its founding treaty.”
Agenzia Nova, a Western Alternative source, highlights the ambiguous detention status in this matter as reflecting a broader conflict between Libya’s national judicial system and international efforts to prosecute war crimes. Both African Insider and 24 News HD report that, following Najim/Njeem’s return, the UN mission in Libya urged authorities to arrest and investigate him or transfer him to the ICC. This situation is set against Libya’s ongoing political division between the UN-recognized Tripoli government and a rival eastern administration.
Alleged Prison Abuses Investigation
Multiple sources outline the alleged abuses under investigation. African Insider and The New Arab report that Najim/Njeem was questioned about the abuse of 10 detainees at Tripoli’s main prison, including one who died due to or from torture.
Arab News references broader reports of human rights abuses at the same facility. The Arab Weekly specifies allegations cited by the ICC involving torture, murder, and rape at Mitiga Prison since 2015.
Libya Detention and ICC Investigation
Libya’s attorney general has confirmed pre-trial detention with sufficient evidence against Najim/Njeem. Several news outlets report the order to keep Najim/Njeem in custody while investigations continue. The UN mission has called for Najim/Njeem’s arrest, investigation, or transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Libya’s attorney general confirmed Njeem is in pre-trial detention with sufficient evidence against him.”
The Arab Weekly emphasizes the attorney general’s confirmation of sufficient evidence and the wider ICC context. Arab News highlights the pretrial detention order in connection with reports of human rights abuses.
African Insider and 24 News HD report the UN mission’s demand for authorities to act or hand the case over to the ICC. Agenzia Nova points out the unclear detention status as a sign of tensions between domestic and international justice.