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 repatriated a Libyan warlord sought by the International Criminal Court due to security concerns, Italy’s interior minister told lawmakers Thursday in the government’s first official comment on its decision expel the suspect and not hand him over to face charges.

Italy's government said Thursday a Libyan police chief arrested on a war crimes warrant was flown home after a court found no basis to detain him -- and he was too dangerous to remain.