Italian judges in Sicily have acquitted Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty, stemming from his 2019 decision to block a Spanish migrant rescue ship from docking in Italy, leaving the passengers stranded at sea for days.
The case revolved around Salvini’s actions as interior minister in Giuseppe Conte’s first government from 2018-2019, during which he implemented stringent anti-immigration policies.
One of his early moves was to close Italian ports to migrant rescue ships, triggering 25 standoffs between vessels and authorities, some of which led to legal scrutiny.
In August 2019, Salvini refused to allow the rescue ship Open Arms, carrying 147 refugees, to dock, forcing it to remain anchored off Lampedusa.
Conditions on board worsened, with a scabies outbreak and growing desperation among passengers, some of whom jumped into the sea.
The ordeal ended after 19 days when a local prosecutor ordered the migrants to disembark.
Following the incident, Salvini lost his position as interior minister and faced allegations of dereliction of duty and kidnapping.
Prosecutors argued that saving lives at sea superseded agreements aimed at curbing irregular migration and had sought a six-year prison term for Salvini
“The duty to save lives at sea is a responsibility of states,” they contended.
After a three-year trial featuring 24 hearings and 45 witnesses—including actor Richard Gere, who visited the ship in solidarity—the judges in Palermo found the evidence insufficient to convict Salvini.
Ahead of the verdict, Salvini defended his actions, stating, “I have kept my promises, combating mass immigration and reducing departures, landings and deaths at sea.” Following his acquittal, he told reporters, “Today is a beautiful day for Italy. Today the judges have said that we have done our duty, that defending the borders is not a crime but a right.”
The trial drew support from nationalist leaders across Europe, including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who tweeted “justice for Salvini” with a photo featuring Salvini’s image on a mock “wanted” poster.
France’s Marine Le Pen and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, head of Italy’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, also voiced their approval. Meloni called the charges “unfounded and surreal.”
Oscar Camps, founder of Open Arms, criticized the verdict, saying, “With this trial, we wanted to restore the dignity of the 147 people who were held on board and deprived of their liberty for 20 days.”
He urged prosecutors to appeal, adding, “Saving lives is what Open Arms has been doing for the past 10 years, what we have been doing up until today, and what we will carry on doing tomorrow. Our work will not be stopped.”
