Italy: Salvini again in court for having blocked migrants in the Mediterranean 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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1 min

Matteo Salvini, leader and senator of the League, one of the parties of the government coalition led by Mario Draghi, is summoned this Friday to Palermo, Sicily, where his trial is taking place for kidnapping of migrants and abuse of power.

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With our correspondent in Rome,

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which is being held in the bunker room of the Ucciardone prison in Palermo, in order to be able to welcome, in complete safety, the press, the civil parties and the accused number 1, Matteo Salvini.

The League leader is on trial in the

case , which dates back to the summer of 2019, when he was still interior minister and had a zero-tolerance policy towards migrants.

The former head of the Italian government is accused 

and faces up to 15 years in prison.

The facts date back to August 2019. The leader of the League had refused, in the name of his policy of " 

 ", that the

, ship of the Spanish NGO ProActiva-Open Arms for aid to refugees , 

.

It therefore remained stranded with 147 migrants on board, not far from the island, for nearly three weeks in August 2019. And this, despite the fact that the health conditions of the women and men rescued at sea, were getting worse day by day.

The situation was finally resolved thanks to a decision of the Sicilian justice.

For this second hearing, the leader of the far-right League announced his presence alongside several witnesses.

Among them, the captain of the Spanish NGO ship.

► Also to listen: Italy: trial of Matteo Salvini in Palermo, the "duty" of the civil parties

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• Refugees

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• Matteo Salvini