Italy's deputy premier, Matteo Salvini, is awaiting Friday's verdict in Sicily for blocking around 100 migrants at sea on a humanitarian rescue boat in 2019 during his tenure as interior minister. Salvini, who leads the Euroskeptic, anti-migrant League, has maintained a defiant stance, emphasizing that 'defending the borders, the dignity, the laws, the honor of a country cannot ever be a crime.'
The incident in question involved the Open Arms rescue ship, where Salvini is accused of detaining migrants for five days in Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa in August 2019. Prosecutors have requested a six-year jail sentence, which could potentially bar him from office if the sentence exceeds five years.
The Open Arms vessel, carrying 150 rescued migrants, spent 10 days in international waters and an additional five days near Lampedusa, leading to a tense standoff. Salvini's defense of 'defending Italy's borders' has been refuted by Open Arms' Italian lawyer, who stressed the importance of upholding human rights and international laws.
Salvini's hardline stance against migration during his tenure as interior minister included closing Italian ports to humanitarian rescue ships and accusing rescue groups of aiding smugglers. The trial in Palermo is just one of the legal challenges Salvini faces for his actions during that period.
Despite the charges against him, Salvini enjoys the support of Premier Giorgia Meloni's far-right-led government, which has also taken a tough stance on migration. Meloni's administration has pursued agreements with North African nations to curb departures and established centers in Albania to process migrants rescued at sea without entering Italy.
As the verdict looms, Salvini remains resolute, vowing to face the court with 'head held high.' The outcome of the trial, while significant, will not have immediate consequences due to Italy's legal process of multiple appeals.
