A controversial arrest that raises questions about Italian justice and politics.

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).

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.

The reaction came after the Italian government on Tuesday released and sent back home Ossama Anjiem, also known as Ossama al-Masri.

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.

Njeem is a brigadier general in Libya’s Judicial Police who the ICC said is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes at the Mitiga Detention Centre in Tripoli. Meloni’s government depends heavily on Libyan security forces to prevent would-be migrants from leaving the North African nation and heading to southern Italy.

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".

Italy detained a Libyan suspect on the back of an ICC arrest warrant, but he was swiftly released and flown home to Tripoli.

Osama Elmasry Njeem faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over his role in running notorious prison

The International Criminal Court demanded answers from Italy on Wednesday over why it freed a Libyan man suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence.

Italy's release of ICC-indicted Libyan warlord Ossama al-Masri has sparked backlash from opposition and civil society, who accuse Meloni of hypocrisy for pledging to uphold the rule of law and fight global human trafficking.