The International Criminal Court has officially accused Italy of non-compliance with its requests to extradite Osama Najeim, a senior official in the Judicial Police Apparatus of the Ministry of Justice of the Libyan GNU. The Court has requested that the matter be referred to the United Nations Security Council, considering this measure necessary to ensure the implementation of justice.
The Prosecutor’s office has submitted a formal request to the Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue a ruling against the Italian government, emphasizing that the Italian authorities did not respond to requests for search and seizure related to materials in Najeim’s possession. The Court also submitted an additional request on October 9, 2024, to search for Najeim and seize his properties and assets, in addition to its pursuit of seizing the properties and assets of militia leaders in Libya.
The Prosecutor considered Italy’s action to be an obstruction of the Court’s work and an impact on the course of justice. He pointed out that the Rome Statute allows the Court to refer non-cooperating states to the United Nations Security Council, which could lead to serious diplomatic and political repercussions for Italy.
