The Libyan Public Prosecutor's Office announced the court verdict regarding former security chief Osman Najim. The Tripoli Criminal Court, operating under local jurisdiction, found Najim guilty and sentenced him to 7 years and 4 months in prison.
The court ruled that Najim 'violated the rights of detainees at the Tripoli Main Correctional and Rehabilitation Institution, tortured them, and subjected them to severe and degrading treatment.' The prosecution stated that an investigation into these allegations was opened following complaints from some inmates at the institution.
With the court ruling, Najim's legal capacity was reduced, and he was deprived of his civil rights for the duration of his sentence and for one year after its completion.
Also wanted by the International Criminal Court
Osman Najim is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of torture, enforced disappearance, and human rights violations. Italian authorities arrested Najim in January 2025 under an ICC arrest warrant but later released him for undisclosed reasons and did not hand him over to the court.
This decision had sparked widespread criticism against the Italian government at both local and international levels.
He had been dismissed
In a televised address in May 2025, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah of Libya's Government of National Unity stated he was 'stunned' by the allegations in the ICC report and announced the dismissal of Osman Najim. Dbeibah said, "How can we trust someone who raped a 14-year-old girl?"
Najim had been appointed in 2021 as the director of the Correctional and Rehabilitation Institution under the Judicial Police, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Justice. He had also been serving as the head of the Judicial Police at Mitiga Prison since 2016.
The Libyan Public Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the investigation and trial process against Najim is an indication of judicial independence and the rule of law in the country.
