In Italy, an open power struggle has developed between the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the judiciary. This has been triggered by the controversial "Almasri case", in which the Ministerial Court (Tribunale dei Ministri) has now requested permission to investigate three high-ranking members of the government. Meloni then accused the judges of being instrumentalized by the left in order to weaken her government.
The National Association of Judges (ANM) immediately countered the accusations with harsh words. "Judges do not do politics, they do their job every day, despite insults and a constant campaign of delegitimization," it said in a statement. The judiciary is only subject to the law and the constitution. The claim that there is a plan against the government shows a lack of understanding for the separation of powers.
The background to the conflict is the case of Libyan commander Almasri, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. Almasri was arrested in Turin in January while traveling through Europe. However, a Rome appeals court ordered his release shortly afterwards due to a procedural error - the ICC had not correctly forwarded the documents to the Italian Ministry of Justice.
Immediately after his release, the Italian authorities flew him back to Libya on a state plane. The government justified this with "urgent security reasons". This action prevented a possible extradition to the ICC, which triggered fierce protests. The ministerial court now wants to investigate the role of Justice Minister Nordio, Interior Minister Piantedosi and State Secretary Mantovano in this matter.
