Italy's interior minister said on Thursday a Libyan man detained under an international war crimes arrest warrant and then unexpectedly released had been swiftly repatriated because of his "social dangerousness".

Italy’s prime minister has addressed growing criticism of the repatriation of a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court.

LIVE: Italy's Meloni Under Fire for Releasing "War Criminal" Libyan General | Firstpost Africa | N18G Welcome to Firstpost Africa with Alyson Le Grange. We are live from Durban, South Africa. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is under fire after her government released a Libyan general wanted by the international criminal court for alleged war crimes.

But Tarik Lamloum, a Libyan activist working with the Belaady Organization for Human Rights which focuses on migrants in Libya, said Italy’s release of al-Masri was expected. He said his release shows the power of militias who control the flow of migrants to Europe through Libya’s shores.

ROME (Reuters) -The International Criminal Court demanded answers from Italy on Wednesday over why it freed a Libyan man suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence.

Italian authorities released the director of a notorious detention camp who had been arrested in Turin on an ICC war crimes warrant.

Italy’s interior minister says he expelled Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court because he posed a danger to society. View on euronews

The head of Libya's judicial police has been arrested after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant over war crimes allegations, media reports say. Osama Najim, who directs Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, was reportedly arrested on Sunday in the Italian city of Turin.