The release and return to Tripoli of Almasri, a human trafficker and war criminal leaves us astonished, incredulous.

An incredible and dangerous thing has happened
The release and return to Tripoli of one of Libya's most ferocious criminals, a human trafficker and war criminal on whom an international arrest warrant has been hanging for some time, leaves us astonished, incredulous. Some of us (Refugees in Libya) have suffered torture in the Mitiga lager itself, and have seen innocent boys die before their eyes, or girls little more than children raped. The leader of this militia of bandits, Radaa, is now one of the most powerful government officials in the Libyan national government, the one with whom Italy, and Europe, have built a relationship worth millions of euros in funding. Others of us (Mediterranea), who are involved in civil rescue at sea, in recent years have been able to document how much the ‘Libyan system’ is marked by the systematic violation of human rights and the dignity of the person.
Those of us who managed to survive, had believed that it was really possible not only to obtain justice, but above all to prevent this criminal from continue acting undisturbed. Instead, we have witnessed in recent days something shameful and unbelievable. A brazen gesture carried out against the law and the Italian Constitution, against the principles and values by which they are inspired. Almasri, who calls himself ‘general’, was protected by the Italian government which even accompanied him home, right to Mitiga, where the lager whose horror we know is located, and on his arrival, this criminal was even celebrated, welcomed by his accomplices, all under the eyes of Italian secret service officials. Free and unpunished. At this point, given that some of us are also witnesses before the International Criminal Court, and given the total impunity enjoyed by the big human traffickers in Italy, we fear for our lives and for the lives of those who had the courage to denounce.
We will continue to believe in a world where the law is truly upheld and ‘equal for all’. But now we know that it will be even more difficult to win it, because injustice has so many accomplices, and not only in Libya. We stand by all the innocent victims, who even now are suffering in the Mitiga lager, and in all the other camps.
Every crime committed against these women, men and children will fall on the conscience of those who protected and freed a criminal like Almasri.
Mediterranea Saving Humans - Refugees in Libya. Press enquiries: David Yambio +39 351 513 6619
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