A Sicilian court has acquitted Italian Vice Premier Matteo Salvini of the charges related to the illegal detention of 100 migrants on a humanitarian rescue ship back in 2019. This incident occurred when Salvini served as the interior minister and involved the Open Arms vessel that was anchored off the southern island of Lampedusa.
The Palermo court decided to dismiss all allegations against Salvini concerning his order to prevent the migrants from leaving the ship. In Italy, court verdicts are not considered definitive until all potential appeals have been completely resolved, a process that can extend over several years.
Salvini, who currently serves as the transport minister in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition government, has consistently maintained that his actions during the crisis were meant to protect Italy’s borders. After the court’s decision, he declared, “Safeguarding our nation’s borders from traffickers is not a crime,” viewing the ruling as a triumph for both the League party he leads and for the nation.
Premier Meloni also conveyed her strong approval of the ruling, describing it as evidence that the allegations against Salvini were unfounded and absurd. Although Salvini had previously articulated that he wouldn’t resign in the event of a guilty verdict, such a ruling would have significantly undermined Meloni’s administration.
The vice premier enjoys notable backing from Meloni, additional cabinet officials, and European lawmakers opposed to immigration. His cause even garnered support from prominent figures like Elon Musk, who expressed solidarity with Salvini via the social media platform X.
In the summer of 2019, amid the standoff, some migrants grew desperate enough to jump into the sea, prompting the captain of the vessel to urgently request a safe haven. Ultimately, a court ruled that the remaining 89 individuals on the ship could disembark on Lampedusa. As interior minister from 2018 to 2019, Salvini implemented a staunch anti-immigration policy, refusing to allow humanitarian rescue vessels to dock while accusing rescuers of essentially enabling human traffickers.
