After three years of proceedings, involving 24 hearings and the testimony of 45 witnesses, the trial of Matteo Salvini in Palermo, for his role in the Open Arms case, reached its conclusion on December 20. The sentencing took place at 9:30 a.m. at the court located in the “Pagliarelli” prison in Palermo. The trial ended with the verdict acquitting the defendant Matteo Salvini because the fact does not exist.
Salvini, the former interior minister and current transport minister, faces charges of kidnapping and neglect of duty for his actions in August 2019. He has been accused of preventing the disembarkation of 147 people, including minors, who had been rescued at sea by the NGO Open Arms during three separate rescue operations. For 19 days, the ship was kept at sea without permission to dock, despite the urgent medical needs of those on board.
The case stems from Mission 65, when Open Arms conducted three rescues in the Mediterranean, saving people in dire condition. Despite these efforts, the ship was denied access to Italian ports, leaving those on board stranded at sea.
During a hearing on September 14, 2024, prosecutors from the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office requested a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, in addition to other penalties. At the time of the incident, Salvini was serving as Italy’s interior minister, overseeing the country’s policies on migration. The charges relate to his role in preventing the safe disembarkation of migrants aboard the Open Arms ship during the 2019 crisis.
The investigation began in November 2019, following a request by the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office based on information gathered by the Agrigento Public Prosecutor’s Office. It focused on various criminal charges related to the August 2019 events, when the Open Arms ship arrived off the coast of Lampedusa with migrants aboard. The Palermo prosecutors have argued that Salvini acted with intentional disregard for both international law and the personal freedoms of the individuals involved, thus committing the crimes of kidnapping and refusal to perform official duties.
This trial is notable as it is the first time a sitting minister has faced criminal charges for actions taken in the exercise of his office. The Palermo prosecutors have sought to affirm Salvini’s criminal responsibility, arguing that his actions knowingly violated the rights of the 147 migrants.
In addition to the actions of the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office, other institutions have weighed in on the case: The Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) of Lazio ruled in August 2019 to suspend the government ban on Open Arms’ entry into Italian waters. The Agrigento Public Prosecutor’s Office had ordered the seizure of the ship, and the Palermo Tribunal of Ministers conducted the investigation and sought permission to proceed with charges against Salvini. The Senate of the Republic authorized the trial, and the Palermo judge ordered Salvini to stand trial.
Our goal was never to seek condemnation, but to ensure the truth about what happened during that mission came to light. For that reason, we are very satisfied with the way things have unfolded.
Rotation 65, Open Arms
Open Arms
Website https://www.openarms.es
