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Libya Arrests ICC-Wanted Official Osama Almasri on Torture Charges

Tripoli’s prosecutor has placed him in preventive custody following his return from Italy in January.

Overview

  • The Prosecutor General in Tripoli ordered Almasri's arrest and announced his referral to trial on torture allegations.
  • Libyan authorities say at least ten detainees were subjected to abuse and one prisoner died as a result of torture.
  • Almasri is being held in preventive custody as investigators continue work to establish wider responsibility.
  • An ICC warrant has been outstanding for years, and in January he was arrested in Turin then repatriated to Libya on a state flight after Italian authorities declined to validate his detention.
  • Italian opposition figures criticized the government’s handling of the case and a victim’s lawyer said she will seek damages, while it remains unclear whether proceedings will stay in Libya or involve transfer to the ICC.