The Almasri case and the keeper of the seals, Nordio. What is happening?

After being released by the Italian state, Najim Osama Almasri, leader of the autonomous military militia Rada, was not welcomed back to Libya. Due to several clashes between armed groups - which are having internal consequences for Libya's stability - President Abdul Dbeibeh ordered the dismantling of what he called irregular armed groups, issuing a summons to Almasri concerning charges brought by the International Criminal Court. The position puts the Italian government, which had handed over (effectively freeing) Almasri after he was arrested in Turin, in a difficult position. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, and Interior and Justice Ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Carlo Nordio are under investigation. But it is on the latter that the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office is contesting the omission of official acts.

The Tribunal of Ministers has authorised lawyer Giulia Bongiorno to view the documents of the investigation into the failure to hand over the Libyan commander. The body thus granted the request of the defence of the four suspects: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, and Ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Carlo Nordio. The Court also informed that it had formalised a complaint for the disclosure of acts covered by secrecy, following press articles. Acts that, it specified, are 'kept in the chancellery of the Assize Court inside a safe deposit box, subject to the procedural steps provided for by constitutional laws'. The Court also stated that 'no conclusive order has yet been issued' on the investigation.

The Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, in the eye of the storm over the case. To rekindle the controversy are the papers of the Tribunal of Ministers in Rome. According to the documents under scrutiny by the toga, Nordio's chief of staff, Giusi Bartolozzi, was aware of what was happening and gave instructions to the magistrates of the Department of Justice Affairs (Dag) to speak with caution. When Almasri had been detained a few hours earlier in Turin, the head of the Dag, Luigi Birritteri, wrote Bartolozzi an e-mail to indicate the lack of authorisation for the wanted man's arrest, and set about finding a way to validate the detention and proceed to hand over the Libyan general. Less than an hour later, Bartolozzi replied that she had already been informed, recommending prudence and, in particular, 'maximum reserve and caution' in passing on information, as well as the use of Signal, a system that ensures greater confidentiality in communications. A circumstance that would contradict Minister Nordio, who had said that it was only on Monday 20 January that the office had been notified of the Libyan criminal's arrest. No official reaction filtered from Via Arenula and Palazzo Chigi. But from government sources it is learnt that the lawyer Giulia Bongiorno intends to file a complaint against unknown persons for disclosure of acts covered by official secrecy. Acts that have not yet been disclosed to the parties concerned and in particular to the parties under investigation represented by the League senator herself: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano and Ministers Carlo Nordio and Matteo Piantedosi. Meanwhile, the opposition continues to press the government, demanding Nordio's resignation and accusing Meloni's team of blatant lying.

This was said by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio speaking at Question Time in the Senate. 'If it is necessary, we will clarify at the appropriate time any other news, which does not arise now,' he added, 'except as possible violations of confidential acts that we do not understand how someone came into possession of. This too will eventually be clarified by the judicial authorities'.

"On the Almasri case there is no escape, because there is nothing new under the sun. What I said in Parliament at the time, I would also say today: the situation has not changed at all, the chatter reported in the press is completely unfounded'. The judges of The Hague, the international high court, consider Najim Osama Almasri to be a torturer, a war crimes defendant and the head and manager of Mitiga prison, a crucial prison in the migration chessboard. Rape, murder and violence of all kinds take place inside the prison.