US designates former Libyan official, wife over torture of detainees

The US designated a former Libyan Judicial Police official and his wife Friday over his "involvement in gross violations of human rights."

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department designated Osema Almasri Habeesh Najeem and his wife, Aml Faraj Mohamed Makhluf, under Section 7031(c) of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.

Rubio said Najeem was involved in "torture and cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of detainees in the Mitiga and al Jadida prisons" and "murder, forced labor, and targeting of Christians and members of other minority groups."

Najeem was detained in Libya in November 2025, months after Italy arrested him in January on war crimes charges before releasing him and arranging his return to Libya.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) had accused him of committing, ordering or assisting in the murder and torture, including rape, of detainees at Mitiga Prison in Tripoli from February 2015 onward.

Following Friday's designation, Najeem and his family members are ineligible to enter the US, Rubio said.