ICC issues arrest warrant for Libyan war crimes suspect Sneidel
The ICC said Saif Suleiman Sneidel is believed to be a member of "Group 50", a sub-group of the Al-Saiqa Brigade, and said there are reasonable grounds to believe he is responsible for war crimes of murder, torture and outrages upon personal dignity, allegedly committed in Benghazi or surrounding areas in Libya in 2016-2017.
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TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
ICC issues arrest warrant for Libyan war crimes suspect Sneidel
The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Friday it has issued an arrest warrant for a Libyan national accused of war crimes. The ICC said Saif Suleiman Sneidel is believed to be a member of "Group 50", a sub-group of the Al-Saiqa Brigade, and said there are reasonable grounds to believe he is responsible for war crimes of murder, torture and outrages upon personal dignity, allegedly committed in Benghazi or surrounding areas in Libya in 2016-2017.
eNCA
6 days ago
- eNCA
ICC unseals Libya war crimes warrant for militia officer
The International Criminal Court on Friday unsealed an arrest warrant for a Libyan militia member accused of war crimes including murder and torture between 2016 and 2017. The court said there were "reasonable grounds to believe" that Saif Suleiman Sneidel was responsible for war crimes of murder, torture and "outrages upon personal dignity". The November 2020 warrant found "reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Sneidel participated in three executions where a total of 23 people were murdered", the ICC's prosecutor's office said in a statement. The crimes were allegedly committed in Benghazi or surrounding areas, in Libya, on or before June 3, 2016 until on or about July 17, 2017. The prosecutor's office said Sneidel's arrest warrant had been issued under seal to "maximise arrest opportunities" and to minimise risks to the criminal investigation. "For this reason, no details of the application or warrant could be provided until this stage," it said. The decision to make it public followed a second application by the prosecutor's office to "increase prospects for arrest". "We hope to create the momentum for Mr Sneidel's arrest and surrender," said deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said. "The Court can now discuss issues related to possible arrest with States, the UN Security Council, and the international community at large, fostering support and cooperation." - Group 50 - Sneidel is believed to have been serving in Group 50, a sub-unit of the Al-Saiqa Brigade led by the the late Libyan commander, Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli. Prior to his death, Al-Werfalli was the subject of two ICC arrest warrants for eight executions in Benghazi, three of which the prosecution alleges Sneidel took part in. "The prosecution alleges that Mr Sneidel was a close associate of Mr Al-Werfalli, and had an important leadership role alongside him in the Al-Saiqa Brigade," the statement said. The ICC has been investigating atrocities in Libya since 2011, following a referral from the United Nations Security Council. The ICC also confirmed that another Libyan suspect, Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, had been arrested by German authorities on July 16, 2025 for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He remains in custody in Germany pending legal proceedings. Libya has faced years of instability, militia violence and fractured government since Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011 near his hometown of Sirte during the Arab Spring uprising.
TimesLIVE
05-08-2025
- TimesLIVE
Case against Italian PM Meloni over release of Libyan suspect dismissed
An Italian judicial body has dropped a case against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had been placed under investigation following the release of a Libyan police officer wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), she said on Monday. Osama Elmasry Njeem was freed in January and flown home in an Italian state aircraft just days after being detained in the northern city of Turin under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and rape. "The judges dismissed the case only against me," Meloni said in a post on social media X. She was under investigation for allegedly aiding and abetting a crime and misuse of public funds. Meloni added that based on the document she received, magistrates will pursue the case against interior minister Matteo Piantedosi, justice minister Carlo Nordio and cabinet undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, who had been placed under investigation with her. "I maintain that this government acts cohesively under my leadership: every decision, especially one so important, is agreed upon. It is therefore absurd to request that Piantedosi, Nordio and Mantovano stand trial, but not myself, before them," Meloni wrote on X. The ICC has been investigating allegations of serious crimes committed in Libya since the country's 2011 civil war following a referral by the UN Security Council. Justice minister Nordio told parliament in February that Italy had no choice but to free Elmasry due to mistakes and inaccuracies in the arrest warrant.
