Italy: opening of the trial of Matteo Salvini, accused of having blocked migrants at sea

Matteo Salvini alongside his lawyer, on the first day of his trial in Palermo, October 23, 2021. REUTERS - ANTONIO PARRINELLO

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The former vice-president of the Council and Minister of the Interior of the Conte 1 government, Matteo Salvini, appears, this Saturday, October 23, before the court of Palermo in the case of the humanitarian ship of the Spanish NGO Open Arms which 'he was blocked for six days not far from Lampedusa, in August 2019. And this despite the serious physical and mental conditions of the 121 migrants still on board out of the 147 rescued at the beginning of the month off Libya.

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With our correspondent in Rome, 

This trial

 could literally undermine the former Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right League. He is accused of "kidnapping people" for having blocked for days, in August 2019, the ship of the NGO Open Arms. And “failure to fulfill his duties” for refusing to indicate a port of disembarkation, from the moment the boat entered Italian territorial waters. 

The leader of the anti-migrant party had refused for six days to grant a safe port to the ship of the Spanish NGO which anchored off the small Italian island of Lampedusa, in the south of Sicily, while conditions on board s 'aggravated.

The migrants were only allowed to disembark thanks to an order issued by the Sicilian justice after an on-board inspection which had confirmed the seriousness of the health situation on the overcrowded ship.

New move 

Matteo Salvini, 48, risks being banned from holding office in Parliament and in any public body. But also up to fifteen years in prison. He claims to have acted for the good of Italy and to dissuade migrants from embarking on African coasts for a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean, stressing that the decision had been validated by the government of the time and Giuseppe Conte.

We are not there yet, especially since the trial, after his dismissal on September 15, promises to be very long.

However, in terms of image, this is a further humiliation for Salvini after the League's debacle in the municipal by-elections.

According to the latest polls, this party, which was the first in Italy until September, only collects 19% of the voting intentions.

This places it in third position behind the Democratic Party and the post-fascists of the Brothers of Italy, the only force in opposition to the government of national unity of Mario Draghi. 

►Also listen: The interminable wandering of the Open Arms migrants

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• Italy

• Matteo salvini

• Justice

• International Migration

• Humanitarian