South Sudanese migrant sues Italy over release of alleged Libyan torturer: Video
A South Sudanese migrant, Lam Magok, has filed a complaint against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after Italy repatriated Osama Almasri Najim, a Libyan judicial police chief accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Magok, who alleges he was tortured in a Libyan detention centre under Najim’s command, warns that Italy's decision to send Najim back to Libya endangers countless other migrants.
Recalling his time in detention, Magok described harrowing abuse. “I saw him in Al-Jadida, one of the biggest prisons in Tripoli,” he told the AFP. “He came with a big stick, removed the cross from my neck, and hit me on the head.”
Magok detailed further torture, including electric shocks and beatings. “For someone who tried to escape, they touch you on the leg. So that the next time you're not going to try to escape again, they use electric shock and electric wire. They tie your legs and put them on the chair. They have cables, electric cables,” he explained. “It’s a way of frightening you. You feel like you’ll never be free again.”
He also recounted witnessing Najim shoot prisoners and hearing the screams of those executed in closed rooms. “When someone is dead, they call us to bring the body bag,” Magok said.
Najim was arrested in Turin but was released and flown back to Libya two days later, with Italian authorities blaming a flawed International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for their inability to detain him. A special court is now reviewing Magok’s complaint.
