Berlin: A Libyan man suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity has been arrested in Germany on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, commonly known as Al-Buti, is alleged to have been one of the most senior officials at the Mitiga Prison complex in Tripoli, where thousands of people were detained. He is suspected of having committed, ordered, or overseen crimes including murder, torture, and rape.
According to Nam News Network, the Security Council condemned the violence and use of force against civilians, as well as the gross and systematic violation of human rights, including the repression of peaceful demonstrators. The council expressed deep concern at the deaths of civilians and rejected unequivocally the incitement to hostility and violence against the civilian population made from the highest level of the Libyan government, then under Gaddafi.
Since the overthrow of Gaddafi, Libya has been split into areas controlled by various militias and is currently divided between two rival governments. Hishri was part of the Special Deterrence Force, also known as SDF/Rada, aligned to the interior ministry of the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli. On 12 May 2025, Libya accepted the ICC’s jurisdiction over its territory from 2011 to the end of 2027.
Eight other public ICC arrest warrants are still pending in connection with the violence that followed the fall of Gaddafi. Earlier this year, Italy controversially released Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, who was allegedly the director of the Mitiga detention center. Amnesty International reports that Mitiga Prison was the scene of horrific violations committed with total impunity, with some of those detained being migrants trying to reach Europe.
Najim was freed due to a legal technicality, according to sources in Italy’s interior ministry. The ICC stated that Najim had been released by Italy without prior notice or consultation with the Court and issued another arrest warrant for him. He remains a fugitive.
Hishri will remain in detention in Germany until arrangements are made for him to be surrendered to the ICC’s custody and extradited to face justice in The Hague. The ICC thanked all the victims and witnesses from Libya who have stepped forward to cooperate in the investigation, acknowledging that their strength, courage, and commitment make these important developments possible.