top of page

Our Voice Is Our Only Refuge In The Absence of Justice.

The cowardice play of words and finger-pointing in Italy is as described in this sketch. Meloni Says it was Nordio while he says it was a political decision. As for Piantedosi, Almasri was a social and national security danger and therefore he expelled him back to Libya. Almarsri like the boss of the Italian Government salute his minions and boards a state flight bound for Mitiga-his kingdom!
The cowardice play of words and finger-pointing in Italy is as described in this sketch. Meloni Says it was Nordio while he says it was a political decision. As for Piantedosi, Almasri was a social and national security danger and therefore he expelled him back to Libya. Almarsri like the boss of the Italian Government salute his minions and boards a state flight bound for Mitiga-his kingdom!

What fault have I? Is it that I was born? That I sought to live where living was not meant for me? Is it that I dared to flee a land that crushed me, only to find myself in a world that continues to crush me still? They say, “You should not have left, why Italy not Uganda?” as though the house that robbed me of everything was not already burning, as though staying would not have torn my soul apart just the same.


For me, Almasri is not just one man. He is the face of a thousand nightmares that I see every night. He is the shadow of a system that assigns suffering to people like me as though it were our destiny. Torture became my home before I even knew what home was. I did not choose it; it was handed to me, like an inheritance, before I could speak, before I could resist. It was non-negotiable. The world had already decided what my life would be, and it was never mine to begin with.


I speak not to attack but to survive. It is only in speaking that I find shreds of justice in a world that has denied me everything else. My voice is the only thing they could not take, though they tried, again and again. I speak because it frees me, because it reminds me that I am still here, still human, even when the world insists that I am not.

And so I ask again: what is my fault? Is it that I exist in a world where my existence is seen as a threat? Or is it that I have dared to remember, dared to demand justice when forgetting would be easier for everyone else?


This piece is not just about Almasri. It is about the systems that protect men like him while blaming people like me, Lam, Yasmine, Chol, Mariam and countless others. It is about the betrayal of justice, the indifference of the powerful, and the unbearable weight of being seen as a problem instead of a person. I write not to accuse, but to remind, to remind the world that behind those statistics, behind those court cases, those names on the indictments, there are people like me. People who have been robbed of their homes, their dignity, their safety, and who now stand with nothing but their voices.

If justice is not for us, then who is it for? If the world cannot see our pain, then what is the point of justice at all?


The International Criminal Court is said to have been created as a foundation of hope for the oppressed, a mechanism to hold accountable those who commit the gravest crimes against humanity. But, in the case of Almasri, we see that hope shattered. The Italian government’s decision to arrest him, only to jet him back to Libya is unforgivable in my pain, spirit and the memories of the dead.


The ICC statement is unambiguous: Italy was under clear legal obligations to cooperate fully with the Court. As a State Party to the Rome Statute, Italy is bound to arrest and surrender individuals indicted by the ICC. This duty is not optional, nor is it subject to political convenience. Article 89 of the Rome Statute as I discovered explicitly states that States Parties must comply with requests for arrest and surrender without delay. Italy not only failed to comply but acted in direct contradiction to its commitments.


The statement lays bare that Italy had been informed, coordinated with, and provided real-time information about Almasri’s presence in Turin. The Registry and the Prosecutor’s Office went to great lengths to ensure Italy had every resource necessary to fulfill its obligations. The Court even deferred public comment at the Italian government’s request to safeguard the domestic legal process. Yet, despite these efforts, Italy unilaterally chose to defy its obligations, released Almasri and facilitated his return to his safe haven where he will continue to wield his power and inflict suffering on the Libyan citizens and our likes.

As Piantedosi and the Meloni administration takes away justice from our plate, we are left with only our voice. We have been forced by the absence of justice to find Refuge and Justice in our on words.
As Piantedosi and the Meloni administration takes away justice from our plate, we are left with only our voice. We have been forced by the absence of justice to find Refuge and Justice in our on words.

Minister Piantedosi’s justification that Almasri was “dangerous for the Italian people and its national security” is both cowardice and offensive. If Almasri is too dangerous for Italy, how much more dangerous is he for the Libyan people and the migrants he has enslaved, tortured, and murdered? This argument reveals not a concern for justice but the unshocking indifference to the lives of non-Europeans. By jetting Almasri back to Libya, Italy has ensured that his criminal network will mushroom, that his victims will remain silenced, and that the crimes he committed will go unpunished. 


While many are outraged by this betrayal, others have turned their anger against the victims. They ask, “How do we know they are telling the truth?” as though our pain isn’t enough proof, as though the scars we carry could lie. This doubt is cruel, but it is not new. It is the same doubt that shields oppressors and silences the oppressed. To question us now is to side with the men who broke us. It is to tell us that our suffering is easier to deny than their crimes are to be confronted.


Under the Rome Statute, Italy is not just a passive observer but an active participant in the ICC’s mandate to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The Statute obligates all member states to:


  1. Execute Arrest Warrants: Italy was required to detain Almasri and surrender him to the ICC without delay.

  2. Consult the ICC: If Italy encountered any legal or practical issues in executing the warrant, it was obligated to consult with the ICC immediately, as per Article 97. No such consultation occurred before Almasri was released.

  3. Prohibit Safe Haven: Italy, like all States Parties, is bound by international law to ensure its territory does not become a refuge for those accused of international crimes. By returning Almasri to Libya, Italy violated this fundamental principle.


These are not abstract legal provisions, they are the pillars of a system meant to protect the vulnerable and hold the powerful accountable. Italy’s actions have undermined these pillars, and has weakened the ICC’s ability to function and embolden war criminals worldwide.


And Europe remains silent. Germany, Malta, France, the EU Commission, none have spoken. Their silence is not innocent. It is a choice. This silence is not without cause. Europe’s ties to Libya are steeped in political convenience, economic looting and institutionalised racism disguised in “Migration Management”. I dare to ask: how much longer can Europe hide behind this silence before it tears apart the very values it claims to uphold?


It says that Almasri’s victims do not matter. It says that justice does not matter. If Italy has failed alone, they might condemn it. But their silence suggests they, too, have something to hide. We live here, in Europe, believing in its promise of human rights, but their silence tells us we are not part of that promise. It tells us that justice is for others, not for us. What does it mean to live under a system that draws borders not just around nations, but around justice itself? To say justice is for others is to say that our lives are not lives at all, they are sacrifices, made without consent, to uphold a system that was never built for us.

Almasri boards a state owned flight back to Libya in escape from Justice. 21 Jan 2025
Almasri boards a state owned flight back to Libya in escape from Justice. 21 Jan 2025

What does it mean when a government arrests a war criminal, only to return him to the land where he committed his atrocities? It means that justice is no longer about the victims, it is about convenience. It means that the principles of accountability and rule of law are negotiable when weighed against political expediency.


As a victim of Almasri’s brutality, I cannot accept this. I cannot accept a world where the voices of survivors are ignored, where governments betray their commitments, and where the lives of the oppressed are sacrificed on the altar of indifference. Italy’s actions have not only denied justice to Almasri’s victims but have also sent a dangerous signal to other perpetrators of atrocities: the system will protect you if you have the right connections and the right location.


Justice is not just a legal concept, it is a moral obligation, a societal contract, and a measure of our humanity. Every deal Europe signs with Libya is a pact with suffering and death, a compromise that trades human lives for political expediency.


They claim these agreements protect borders, but they do not say whose lives are sacrificed to do so. These agreements feed the very networks that enslave, torture, and kill. They are built on the backs of the powerless, and they must end. Italy, and all of Europe, must cut ties with Libya now. They must demand that Almasri is handed over to the ICC. Anything less is a betrayal of justice, a betrayal of humanity, and a betrayal of every life destroyed by this system.

Meloni claims that it wasn’t her government that smuggled Almasri from Justice in a state owned flight but the court of Rome headed by Nordio!
Meloni claims that it wasn’t her government that smuggled Almasri from Justice in a state owned flight but the court of Rome headed by Nordio!

The Italian government must answer for its actions. It must explain why it chose to defy the ICC, why it abandoned its commitments under the Rome Statute, and why it prioritized political convenience over human lives. The international community must not allow this betrayal to stand unchallenged.

Piantedosi carried away justice from us.
Piantedosi carried away justice from us.

We, the victims, call for Minister Piantedosi to hand himself over to the ICC, for he has done no less than smuggle Almasri away from justice. His actions are a betrayal not just of international law but of every principle of humanity. And we ask the Italian people: what accountability will you demand of Piantedosi, a man who has committed this unforgivable crime in your name? Will you let this betrayal go unchallenged, or will you stand for justice and make him answer for his complicity?

Carlo Nordio says it wasn’t his fault but the political decision of his government!
Carlo Nordio says it wasn’t his fault but the political decision of his government!

We also, together with the Italian and European people who value justice, call on Carlo Nordio to resign immediately. He has not only betrayed his oath to serve his office justly but, in truth, has made himself complicit in the crimes against humanity committed by Almasri. His actions or lack thereof stand as a stain on justice and must not go unanswered.

OUR VOICE: OUR REFUGE, OUR JUSTICE!
OUR VOICE: OUR REFUGE, OUR JUSTICE!

Comments


HELPLINE FORM
نموذج خط المساعدة

The below form is only resolved for migrants and Refugees.
النموذج أدناه مخصص للمهاجرين واللاجئين فقط
Le formulaire ci-dessous est uniquement destiné aux migrants et aux réfugiés.

Date of birth/تاريخ الميلاد/Date de naissance

This sector is only for our supporters.
Spread our voice! Sign our manifesto!

هذا القسم مخصص فقط لمؤيدينا !انشروا صوتنا
!وقّعوا على بياننا الانتخابي

Cette section est réservée à nos sympathisants. Faites entendre notre voix ! Signez notre manifeste !

PayPal ButtonPayPal Button
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Refugees in Libya ©2025

bottom of page