ICC Wants Libyan General, Ignores Allies' War Crimes
Osama Almasri Najim, a former Libyan judicial police chief, was finally arrested in Tripoli for alleged war crimes and torture, following an ICC warrant. The irony? This appears to be the same individual who was arrested in Italy earlier this year on that same ICC warrant, only to be inexplicably released and flown back to Libya. One might wonder if the 'justice' system occasionally grants a
mulligan for accused torturers, depending on geopolitical convenience. While Najim's detention is framed as a win for international justice, it starkly highlights the selective enforcement of the ICC's mandate. The court has pursued war crimes in Libya, Sudan, and various African nations with vigor, yet conveniently struggles to issue warrants or pursue similar allegations against officials of
Western-backed regimes or allied nations, despite mountains of evidence. It's almost as if 'international law' only applies to those who aren’t well-connected, or whose atrocities don't destabilize 'friendly' petro-states.