ROME (AP) — Italian police arrested a Libyan warlord on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, but an Italian tribunal refused to approve the arrest and he was instead sent back to Libya, Italy's state-run RAI television reported.

A senior member of Libya's judicial police has been given a hero's welcome back home after Italy unexpectedly released him from jail just two days after arresting him on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Italy's government said Thursday a Libyan police chief arrested on a war crimes warrant was flown home after a court found no basis to detain him -- and he was too dangerous to remain.

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".

In response to Italy’s failure to surrender Osama Elmasry Njeem to the International Criminal Court (ICC), FIDH joins Libyan, Italian, and (…)

Responding to reports of the arrest in Italy of Osama Njeem, long-term member of the Tripoli-based militia Deterrence Apparatus for Combatting Terrorism

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant for the head of Libya's judicial police on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, a day after Italy released him.

Al-Masri had been arrested Sunday in Turin, where he reportedly had attended the Juventus-Milan soccer match the night before. The ICC warrant, dated the day before, accused al-Masri of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Mitiga prison in Libya starting in 2015 that are punishable with life in prison.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has defended the swift deportation of Libyan war crimes suspect Osama Elmasry Njeem, citing concerns about his "social dangerousness." Njeem, detained in Turin under an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant,

Opposition parties and NGOs are demanding the Italian government explain why the director of Libya's notorious Mitiga prison was not jailed.

Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government are under fire due to the release of a Libyan warlord on a technicality, after he was arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.