A plane that was sent to repatriate
Libyan judicial police chief General Osama Almasri before he was
released after being arrested on an International Criminal Court
war crimes warrant was readied "for the purposes of prevention,
a practice in line what previous governments had done," Interior
Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the House on the controversial
case Wednesday denying opposition assertions that the government
had planned all along to send the alleged rapist and murderer
back to Libya so he could start his anti-migrant activities
again.
"The choice of repatriation methods (in line with what happened
in numerous similar cases even in previous years and with
governments other than the current one) went hand in hand with
the assessment carried out for the expulsion of Almasri", said
the interior minister, who said the official wanted for crimes
against humanity and raping persons as young as five had been
expelled because he was a danger to Italy.
Furthermore, "the preparation of the plane, already on the
morning of January 21, is one of those preventive initiatives,
and therefore open to every possible scenario (including the
possible transfer to another place of detention), which are the
responsibility of those called upon to manage situations that
imply profiles of protection of security and public order of
such importance".
Italy has had a deal to fund Libyan coast guards in stopping
migrant departures since 2017, sealed by then centre-left
Democratic Party (PD) hardline anti-migrant interior
ministerMarco Minniti under Premier Paolo Gentiloni.
It is renewed every three years and is also screened by the
European Council.
Critics in human rights NGOs say it fosters illegal pushbacks.
The opposition has claimed Almasri is a key part of anti-migrant
departure efforts.
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