Libyan prison militia chief arrested in Germany

Khaled Al Hishri wanted by ICC for alleged crimes at Tripoli's feared Mitiga prison

Burnt-out cars after clashes near the Mitiga area of Tripoli in May. EPA

A Libyan militia leader wanted by the International Criminal Court has been arrested in Berlin and is awaiting extradition.

Khaled Al Hishri, who is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed as a militia leader in control of Tripoli’s fearsome Mitiga Prison, was arrested Germany on Wednesday, the ICC confirmed to The National.

The Brandenburg Public Prosecutor said it was preparing a transfer to The Hague for a Libyan national whose surname is Al Hishri.

Heiko Maas, the former German foreign minister, visiting Libya in 2019. Alamy

Mr Al Hishri is a senior commander in the Special Deterrence Forces, also known as Rada, an Islamist militia aligned with the UN-backed government in Tripoli.

Rada serves as a de facto military police force that controls the prison, the main airport and neighbouring airbase.

His arrest warrant was issued on July 10, with allegations that he had “committed, ordered or overseen” war crimes including “murder, torture, rape and sexual violence” in Libya from February 2015 to 2020.

“The ICC continues to prioritise stronger internal co-ordination and deeper external co-operation to implement judicial orders and arrest warrants, which are essential steps for proceedings to move forward and for victims to see justice delivered,” said the ICC registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler.

“I thank the national authorities for their strong and consistent co-operation with the court, including leading to this recent arrest.”

The arrest comes months after the ICC's thwarted attempt to arrest Usama “Al Masri” Najeem, Rada's leader and Libya's police chief.

Al Masri was arrested in Italy in January but returned to Libya on an Italian government plane two days later, for what the Italian government said were “inaccuracies” in the ICC warrant issued in his name.

Rights groups said at the time that the move was politically motivated by Italian premier Giorgia Meloni's migrant deal to provide economic support in exchange for Libya cracking down on illegal migration into Europe.

Al Masri was wanted over the deaths 34 detainees and more than 20 cases of sexual abuse including of a five-year-old child, which took place in Mitiga under his watch, the ICC's arrest warrant said at the time.

Earlier this week, the Libyan government appeared to be caving to growing international pressure over rights abuses in its prisons, issuing an official summons for Al Masri, and revoking immunities over the allegations against him in an ICC arrest warrant.

Campaign group Refugees in Libya, which is composed of survivors of the country's detention centres, welcomed Al Hishri's detention and referred to the failed arrest of Al Masri.

“All eyes on Germany as it is doing what the Meloni administration chose not to do,” the group wrote on social media.