A Libyan warlord, Ossama Anjiem, also known as Ossama al-Masri, has been sentenced to prison for human rights violations at a detention facility in western Libya. This conviction comes more than a year after Italy controversially deported him despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
The Tripoli branch leader of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution was handed a seven-year and four-month sentence by the Tripoli Criminal Court. The attorney general’s office stated that al-Masri was found guilty of “violating the rights of inmates,” who reported experiencing “torture, cruelty, and degrading treatment.”
This detention facility is part of a network of centers operated by the Special Defense Force (SDF), a military police unit tasked with addressing crimes like kidnappings and illegal migration. However, the SDF has also faced allegations of committing atrocities during Libya’s protracted civil conflict.
In January 2025, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for al-Masri on charges of “crimes against humanity and war crimes,” including allegations of murder, torture, and sexual violence since February 2015.
Al-Masri was apprehended in Turin shortly after arriving from Germany, where he intended to watch a soccer match. However, Italian authorities released him on a technicality and subsequently expelled him to Libya. This decision drew criticism from human rights organizations and led to the ICC launching an inquiry into Italy’s actions.
Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio defended the deportation, asserting that the ICC’s arrest warrant was flawed and contradictory. Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office also announced that the court ordered al-Masri to be stripped of his legal capacity and civil rights during his sentence and for an additional year thereafter.
Libya has been mired in chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafi. The country remains divided, with rival governments in the east and west, supported by various armed factions and foreign powers.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah leads the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, while Prime Minister Ossama Hammad governs the eastern region. In the east, military commander Khalifa Hifter, who commands the Libyan National Army, also wields significant influence.
Libya serves as a crucial gateway for migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting perilous sea journeys to Europe, driven by war and economic challenges.
