
Italy's justice minister has staunchly defended the government's controversial move to repatriate a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The minister argued that the ICC had mishandled the case by issuing a flawed and contradictory arrest warrant against Ossama Anjiem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Italian government faced criticism from various quarters after releasing al-Masri from prison on Jan. 21 and sending him back to Libya on an Italian military aircraft. Al-Masri, who heads the Tripoli branch of a detention center network, was arrested in Turin on the ICC warrant on Jan. 19.