Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, has stated the reason behind his country's decision to release and send home Libya's war crime suspect,

Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, stated that Najim was repatriated to Libya due to his “social dangerousness” and national security concerns. The controversial move has sparked criticism from human rights groups and the ICC, which demanded an explanation from Italian authorities.

Human rights groups voiced outrage Wednesday after Italy released a Libyan warlord on a technicality, after he was arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant for the head of Libya's judicial police on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, a day after Italy released him.

Italy's release of ICC-indicted Libyan warlord Ossama al-Masri has sparked backlash from opposition and civil society, who accuse Meloni of hypocrisy for pledging to uphold the rule of law and fight global human trafficking.

Italy's government said Thursday a Libyan police chief arrested on a war crimes warrant was flown home after a court found no basis to detain him -- and he was too dangerous to remain.

Italy detained a Libyan suspect on the back of an ICC arrest warrant, but he was swiftly released and flown home to Tripoli.

Al-Masri had been arrested Sunday in Turin, where he reportedly had attended the Juventus-Milan soccer match the night before. The ICC warrant, dated the day before, accused al-Masri of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Mitiga prison in Libya starting in 2015 that are punishable with life in prison.

Italy’s interior minister says he expelled Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court because he posed a danger to society. #EuropeNews

Njeem is a brigadier general in Libya’s Judicial Police who the ICC said is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes at the Mitiga Detention Centre in Tripoli. Meloni’s government depends heavily on Libyan security forces to prevent would-be migrants from leaving the North African nation and heading to southern Italy.

Italy has defended its decision to deport Libyan war crimes suspect Osama Elmasry Njeem, citing his social dangerousness. Despite an ICC arrest warrant, Njeem was released by an Italian court due to procedural issues and swiftly repatriated to Libya.