Libyan ICC war crimes suspect arrested in Germany
German authorities have arrested a Libyan national accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role as a senior official at a notorious detention facility in Tripoli, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday.
Khaled Mohamed Ali Al Hishri was detained on Wednesday and will remain in German custody pending the outcome of national judicial proceedings, the ICC said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Prosecutors allege that Al Hishri was among the top officials overseeing Mitiga prison from February 2015 to early 2020. During that period, thousands of detainees were reportedly held in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions, subjected to brutal interrogations, systematic torture, and sexual violence, including rape.
Mitiga prison, located in western Libya, was the country’s largest detention center and has long been associated with widespread human rights abuses.
The arrest comes at a politically sensitive time for the ICC, which is facing U.S. sanctions over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of war crimes during the Gaza conflict. Several European ICC member states, including Germany, have criticized that warrant.
In January, Italian authorities arrested another Libyan ICC suspect, Osama Elmasry Njeem, also linked to crimes at Mitiga prison. However, he was released back to Tripoli after Italian officials cited errors in the arrest warrant, sparking political backlash and a judicial inquiry into Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her cabinet members.
The ICC has been investigating alleged atrocities in Libya since the 2011 civil war following a UN Security Council referral.
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