Italy secures release of two activists held in Libya for a month, with return expected Wednesday

Three activists held in Libya since late May have been released and handed over to the Italian consul in Benghazi, the government in Rome said. The breakthrough closes a month-long crisis for the families of Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, two Italians arrested with eight other participants in the Global Sumud Land Convoy, a humanitarian mission attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.

“I am happy to announce the release of Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, the two Italian Flotilla activists, who had been detained in Libya for a month. Along with them, Matias Alvarez Rodriguez, a Uruguayan with Italian citizenship, who we have been following and assisting in recent days, has also been entrusted to our Consul in Benghazi.”

The mission and the arrests

The convoy included ten trucks of humanitarian supplies, seven ambulances and over 200 participants with expertise in medicine, engineering, logistics and international humanitarian law. It had departed Mauritania roughly a month before reaching a checkpoint near Sirte, in eastern Libya, where it was blocked by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar.

On 24 May the two Italians, along with activists from Spain, the US, Poland, Argentina, Portugal and Tunisia, were formally detained and transferred to Benghazi on charges of illegal entry. The Spanish foreign ministry later confirmed that a Spanish national, Alicia Armesto Núñez, was among those held.

The diplomatic push

The release, announced by Tajani on social media late on 23 June, followed what he described as intense diplomatic work coordinated between the foreign ministry and the prime minister’s office. No details of the negotiations were made public, but the minister credited the staff of the Farnesina and the Italian intelligence services.

“Thanks to intense diplomatic work, coordinated between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Palazzo Chigi, they will finally return to Italy tomorrow.”

Reaction from families and the Flotilla

Giuseppe Alberizia, the brother of Leonarda Alberizia, told ANSA he had been contacted directly by the minister’s spokesman. He said he was overcome with relief.

“It’s true. It’s wonderful. I have no words. Just so much joy.”

Maria Elena Delia, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla in Italy, said the announcement came 30 days after the activists were first detained.

“We have been waiting for this moment for 30 days. We are overjoyed at the release of Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia. This is a very important moment for us because tomorrow would have marked exactly one month of detention in Libya, which began on 24 May.”

Timeline of the detention

The three released activists are expected to fly back to Italy on Wednesday 24 June. The status of the remaining detainees, including the Spanish activist, was not immediately addressed in the Italian government’s announcement.