Italian activists freed after month-long detention in Libya

Two Italian volunteers, Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, were released after approximately one month of detention in eastern Libya. They were stopped near a checkpoint on the Libya‑Egypt border, taken to Sirte and then to a prison in Benghazi, where they faced isolation, psychological pressure and limited contact with their families. Upon their release they arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, with Centrone noting it was “the best gift we could imagine” on his birthday. Both thanked the Italian diplomatic apparatus, saying the effort was “not easy” but essential, and highlighted that other detainees remained in custody. Their accounts stress harsh treatment and unequal conditions for volunteers, while pledging to continue humanitarian activism.