The government attributed the release to procedural reasons. But critics say it is because Italy depends on Libya to stem the flow of migrants from Africa.

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's interior minister has told lawmakers that he ordered the expulsion of a Libyan warlord sought by the International Criminal Court due to security concerns.