The Molfetta teacher detained in Benghazi during a humanitarian mission to Gaza
Domenico “Nico” Centrone is a 33-year-old teacher originally from Molfetta, in the province of Bari, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Bari. In recent months his name has become known nationwide for his participation in an international humanitarian mission bound for Gaza and for his subsequent arrest in Libya, where he remained detained for weeks.
Centrone had joined the Global Sumud Land Convoy, the so-called “land flotilla,” an international expedition of activists seeking to reach Gaza overland to bring solidarity to the Palestinian people, in parallel with the maritime initiatives of the Global Sumud Flotilla. He had set out from Molfetta on 5 May 2026, eventually reaching one of the convoy’s camps near Tripoli, in western Libya. Among the activists from Puglia involved alongside him were also Leonarda “Dina” Alberizia, originally from the Foggia area but living in Asti, and Sara Suriano, a 33-year-old from Andria.
The events that led to the arrest date back to the afternoon of Sunday, 24 May 2026. After days of deadlock in a neutral area between western and eastern Libya — the so-called “no weapon zone,” a kind of no-man’s-land between the two Libyas — a group of ten activists, made up of American, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and Greek citizens, had broken away from the main convoy in two cars and an ambulance. The group had crossed the Sirte checkpoint, entering the territory of Cyrenaica controlled by General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army, with the aim of negotiating directly with the eastern Libyan authorities for guarantees to continue the journey. According to reconstructions, the approach to the checkpoint had in fact come at the invitation of those same eastern Libyan authorities. After the activists handed over their passports to the militias and received some initial reassurances, however, contact was lost. Centrone and Alberizia were transferred to Benghazi, where they were held as “illegal immigrants” because they lacked a special security permit, awaiting a summary trial and possible expulsion.
The news of the detention sparked widespread mobilization in Italy. Demonstrations calling for the release of the two activists were held in Molfetta and Bari, particularly at the University of Bari, where Centrone teaches and which issued a public appeal for his release. On the institutional front, the Foreign Ministry activated its crisis unit and the Italian Consulate mobilized, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that he was in contact with his counterparts in Benghazi, hoping for a swift expulsion that would allow the activists to return home. According to updates from 3 June 2026, Centrone and Alberizia were still detained, with the Libyan prosecutor having ordered their detention to be extended until the next hearing.
Domenico Centrone’s case is part of the broader picture of solidarity initiatives toward Gaza, and it highlights both the risks faced by activists crossing conflict zones and the complexity of the situation in Libya, divided between two rival administrations. The case has also raised questions about the role of Italian diplomacy in protecting its own citizens engaged in humanitarian missions abroad.
