“He had the obligation to provide a safe harbor.” The accusation is serious: kidnapping and refusal of official duties for having prevented the disembarkation of 147 migrants. And so Matteo Salvini risks six years in prison.
This is what came out in Palermo, inOpen Arms trial hearing. The story is well known: in August 2019, Matteo Salvinithen in his role as Interior Minister of the Berlusconi Government, prohibited the disembarkation of 147 migrants rescued by the Spanish NGO ship.
«There is one key principle that cannot be disputed: between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty are the human rights that in our system«He had the obligation to provide a safe harbor”. The accusation is serious: kidnapping and refusal to perform an official act for having prevented the disembarkation of 147 migrants. And so Matteo Salvini risks six years in prison.
This is what came out in Palermo, inOpen Arms trial hearing. The story is well known: in August 2019, Matteo Salvinithen in his role as Interior Minister of the Conte Government, prohibited the disembarkation of 147 migrants rescued by the Spanish NGO ship.
It was he who directed the technical table and it was he who received “constant and daily” updates on the Spanish ship held at sea for twenty days. And he always imposed proceed first with the redistribution and then with the release of the POS (the safe harbor). For the prosecutors of the trial, the deputy prime minister was the only one responsible, unlike what was claimed by the defense according to which every decision was agreed by Salvini with the other competent ministers of the Conte government. But even the then prime minister, heard at the trial, was kept in the dark about some choices.
Open Arms, Matteo Salvini accused of kidnapping
Salvini, this is the prosecution’s thesis, he did everything for his own interest, his aim would have been to intercept more consensus taking advantage of the fight against illegal immigration. «At Open Arms – added deputy prosecutor Giorgia Righi – the POS should have been released without delay and immediately, the denial was in contempt of the rules and not to continue with a government plan“, and that “conscious and voluntary denial violated the freedom of each of the 147 people and there was no reason”. And those 147 people are the great absentees of this trial: “most of them are untraceable, but not because they are illegal immigrants or criminals, maybe because they don’t have a home” said the prosecutors who also read their names as a sign of respect.
“There is a key principle that cannot be disputed: between human rights and the protection of the sovereignty of the State, it is human rights that must prevail in our system, which is fortunately democratic”, were the words of the deputy prosecutor Gery Ferrara during the indictmentin the bunker courtroom of the Pagliarelli prison. «The person in the sea needs to be saved and his classification is irrelevant: migrant, crew member, passenger. According to the international law of the Sar convention, even a human trafficker or a terrorist must be saved, then if necessary justice takes its course”. And again: “The States have the obligation to intervene and respect European regulations in terms of immigration”.
Reactions in support of Matteo Salvini
The accusation is serious, because for these crimes the code does not provide alternative punishments to prison. Obviously the reactions were not long in coming.
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That of the defendant, who was not present in the courtroom and who immediately commented: «I plead guilty to having defended Italy and the Italians, I plead guilty to having kept my word. No government and no minister in history has ever been accused and tried for defending the borders of their country”. And again: “I would do it all again: defending the borders from illegal immigrants is not a crime. Full speed ahead, without fear”.
The one of the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: «It is incredible that a Minister of the Italian Republic risks 6 years in prison for having carried out their work in defending the nation’s borders, as required by the mandate received from the citizens».
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The government is united and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also intervene on X Antonio Tajani: «I reiterate what I said this morning: Matteo Salvini did his duty of the Minister of the Interior to defend legality. Asking for 6 years of prison for this reason seems an unreasonable choice and, what’s more, without any legal basis». Minister Piantedosi also expressed «full and total solidarity with Minister Salvini».
Finally, surprisingly, an intervention also arrived from Elon Musk in support of Salvini: «That crazy prosecutor should be the one who goes to jail for six years, this is crazy.”
The opposition’s reactions
On the other hand, the Secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein he said he considered it “very inappropriate”intervention of the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni» on the request for the conviction of Matteo Salvini for the affair Open Arms. «We think that the executive and judicial power are separate and autonomous. It is a principle called separation of powers”. he said in Umbertide. “Therefore – Schlein maintained – respect institutional would require not commenting on open trials.”
Luca Casarin, activist and now head of the NGO Mediterraneacommented as follows: «I hope that today we talk about justice. Justice for the weakest, for women, men and children. Justice for what is happening in the Mediterranean, with continuous shipwrecks. Concentration camps in Libya. Our hope is that today a page of justice will be written. I think it is not a trial against Italy but a trial against what dishonours Italy».
But the deputy prosecutor Gery Ferrara he goes straight to the point: «There is one key principle that cannot be disputed: between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system. All the officials, all the ministers, all the witnesses we have heard in this trial have said that not knowing whether there were terrorists, weapons, or propaganda material on board the Open Arms. Even references to attempts to redistribute migrants before the issuing of the POS cannot work: there cannot be subordination of respect for human rights and redistribution of migrants. First the migrants are let off and then they are redistributed: otherwise we risk making politics out of people who are suffering.”
And that’s how we got to the request for 6 years in prison, but for Lawyer Giulia Bongiorno the prosecutor is playing politics: «When he says that the technical table, the decrees and the directives are all unacceptable, intolerable and in conflict with human rights, he is actually putting the political line of that government on trial. In the dock is not Salvini’s conduct but the government’s line».
After the civil parties, Salvini’s defense will be the protagonist of the last hearing on October 18thdemonstrations in the square have been announced for that day by the League. The verdict could arrive by the end of the year.
Source: Vanity Fair
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