Italy: Senate lifts parliamentary immunity of Matteo Salvini

Text by: RFI Follow

The Senate sent to justice Matteo Salvini, leader and senator of the League, Wednesday, February 12. The former interior minister is accused by a Sicilian court of abuse of power and forcible confinement of people for having blocked for several days an Italian coast guard boat with 116 migrants on board, off Lampedusa, in July 2019.

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With our correspondent in Rome, Anne Le Nir

The Senate decision angered Matteo Salvini. Wednesday, February 12, the leader of the League was sent to justice accused of kidnapping people. Unleashed against his opponents who lifted his parliamentary immunity, the senator arrogantly claimed what he did ... and that he would be ready to do again.

“ I believe I have defended my homeland. I did what the Italians had forgotten what it is possible to do, that is to say : to maintain an electoral promise. Everyone in Italy knew that by voting for the League and by voting for Salvini, we would have done everything to block the landings of illegal migrants , "said Matteo Salvini, Minister of the Interior in Italy from June 2018 to September 2019.

Grazie Amici per tutto il sostegno che anche oggi mi dimostrate. Tranquillo ea testa alta, innamorato dell'Italia: rivendicherò il mio operato da Ministro, perché difendere la Patria non era mio diritto, ma mio dovere. pic.twitter.com/FsLdjfgMLf

In theory, the head and senator of the League faces a 15 year prison sentence. His main defense strategy will be to try to demonstrate that the blocking for a week of the military ship, which had 116 migrants on board, in July 2019, when he was Minister of the Interior, was a collective decision of the government.

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• Italy
• Matteo Salvini

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