The Italian news agency Nova reported on Thursday that all bank accounts of the Libyan Embassy in Rome have been frozen for more than a week, leading to severe consequences for the routine administration of the diplomatic headquarters on Via Nomentana, according to qualified Libyan sources cited by the agency. The freeze, which took effect on September 15, has made it impossible to pay the salaries of officials seconded from Tripoli as well as local employees hired under Italian contracts. The administrative paralysis extends to all current activities of the mission.
According to Nova, the embassy stated in a communication with the agency that UniCredit Bank notified it of the account freeze via email on September 18. This measure relates to the collection of outstanding debts owed by the diplomatic mission and appears to have been ordered by judicial authorities. The Libyan Embassy described UniCredit’s conduct as an “individual action,” stressing that it has not yet received any “concrete explanation” from either the bank or the Italian Foreign Ministry, with which it has been exchanging verbal notes to clarify the matter.
A Libyan representative said: “We have already instructed our lawyer to begin legal proceedings and we are trying to obtain all possible information regarding the case.”
The agency further noted that this freeze follows ruling no. 14253, issued on May 28, 2025, in which the Court of Cassation established a crucial principle: for foreign state bank accounts to be considered immune from seizure, it is not sufficient for them merely to serve institutional purposes; there must also be a prior certified declaration proving their use in sovereign public functions under the so-called “imperial law.” Moreover, transactions must be consistent with that purpose. This approach reduces the immunity of foreign states from enforcement measures and imposes a stricter evidentiary burden to protect creditors.
