Almasri was released from prison and brought back to his homeland on a state flight due to fears of reprisals against Italian citizens and interests in Libya .

This is what the tribunal of ministers claims, which has requested authorization to proceed against Minister Nordio, Undersecretary Mantovano and Minister Piantedosi .

"It seems likely that the actual, unexpressed motivation for the actions and conduct of both Minister Nordio—in deciding not to act on the ICC's request for cooperation regarding both the arrest and the kidnapping—and Minister Piantedosi—in ordering his expulsion from Italy—and finally, the Delegated Authority Mantovano—in requesting the CAI flight to escort him home—is to be found, rather, in the concerns expressed by Prefect Caravelli (the director of AISE, ed.), during meetings between institutional leaders, regarding possible retaliation for Italian citizens and interests in Libya resulting from Almasri's continued detention," according to the documents filed with the Chamber of Deputies.

The court finds it "paradoxical" that Almasri's expulsion order, issued for "the need to protect public order and safety," resulted in "the wanted man being returned, free, to a place where he could have continued to commit criminal acts similar to those he was already accused of . It follows that the administrative act, as motivated, is tainted by manifest irrationality and, as such, is illegitimate."

Furthermore, the ministers and the undersecretary "were perfectly aware of the content of the requests for cooperation sent by the ICC and, in particular, of the arrest warrant issued against Almasri. By the former failing to comply with these requests, the latter decreeing the formal expulsion of the wanted man with a clearly irrationally tainted measure, and the third arranging the use of a CAI flight that ensured his immediate return to his homeland, they knowingly and voluntarily helped the aforementioned man evade the ICC's searches and investigations ."

These are the crimes contested, with aggravating circumstances, against the three government officials: failure to perform official duties for the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, aiding and abetting for the ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Nordio and for the undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, aiding and abetting for Piantedosi and Mantovano .

Specifically, Minister Nordio is accused by the judges of neglect of duty for having, in his capacity as Minister of Justice, improperly refused to comply with the urgent requests for cooperation addressed to Italy by the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the provisional arrest and surrender of Osama Almasri Njeem. Among other things, he also failed to respond to multiple requests from ICC officials requesting consultations regarding the execution of the request for the search and seizure of Almasri's property as quickly as possible, including electronic or magnetic storage devices, smart cards, and cellular, mobile, satellite, and transmission phones, and, following these operations, the seizure of any evidence obtained.

Furthermore, Nordio, Piantedosi, and Mantovano are accused of aiding and abetting. Nordio adopted a wait-and-see attitude regarding the Court of Appeal's decision, remaining inactive while awaiting its decision, and also agreeing, in concert with other institutional leaders, that Almasri should be expelled if he were released. He also failed to act, even after receiving notification of the release order, to comply with the ICC's requests for cooperation.

Piantedosi and Mantovano are accused of the same crime: they agreed to issue an expulsion order and subsequently transfer him to Libya via a CAI flight, which took place immediately after his release. They also helped Almasri evade investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and evade its searches. They are also accused of abusing their powers and violating the duties inherent in their public office.

Finally, Piantedosi and Mantovano are accused of embezzlement because, in concert, they diverted the CAI plane for temporary use and appropriated the fuel needed for the flights from Rome to Turin, Turin to Tripoli, and Tripoli to Rome. These flights were not arranged for genuine security reasons but for the sole purpose of helping Almasri evade the ICC's mandate.

A request for dismissal of the case against Giorgia Meloni has been made, but this is opposed by Angela Maria Bitonti, the lawyer representing an Ivorian woman who was tortured by the Libyan general. "We will file a complaint with the Rome Prosecutor's Office," she announced .

The same request comes from Francesco Romero, lawyer for Lam Magoz, another victim of Almasri's torture: "Meloni's words in which she claimed a decision in consultation with her government ministers regarding the Almasri case are an admission of her own responsibility. The Prosecutor's Office should reopen the investigation in the face of such a new development," he states.

"In this affair, there are crimes that are prosecutable ex officio," he adds. "A dismissal is not a definitive decision; it can always be questioned if new elements emerge, as in this case. If Meloni is convinced she did everything right, then she and the ministers can calmly face the trial, without hiding behind immunity."

(Unioneonline)

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