Italian court set to issue verdict in Salvini's kidnapping trial over migrants blocked at sea
A court in Sicily is expected to announce its verdict on whether Italy’s vice premier, Matteo Salvini, is guilty of illegally detaining 100 migrants aboard a humanitarian rescue ship when he was interior minister
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A court in Sicily is expected to announce its verdict Friday on whether Italy's vice premier, Matteo Salvini, was guilty of illegally detaining 100 migrants aboard a humanitarian rescue ship when he was interior minister.
Salvini faces up to six years in jail if convicted on charges of kidnapping for the 2019 incident when he refused to allow the migrants to leave the Open Arms rescue ship at Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa.
A sentence of over five years would also automatically bar him from office. However, verdicts in Italy are only considered final once all appeals are exhausted, a process that can take years. Salvini has made clear he will not step down.
Now transport minister in Premier Giorgia Meloni's far-right-led government, Salvini has defended himself, saying he acted to protect Italy's borders.
During the standoff, some of the migrants threw themselves overboard in desperation as the captain pleaded for a safe, close port. The remaining 89 people onboard were eventually allowed to disembark in Lampedusa by a court order.
Salvini took a hard line against migration as interior minister from 2018-2019 in the first government of former Premier Giuseppe Conte. He refused humanitarian rescue ships port and accused the groups that rescued migrants at sea of effectively encouraging smugglers.
Salvini has the support of Meloni, other government ministers and anti-migrant European lawmakers, as well as Elon Musk, who expressed his support in a message on the social media platform X.
Since she took power in 2022, Meloni has moved to crack down on migration, striking deals with northern African nations to prevent departures while also setting up centers in Albania aimed at vetting migrants rescued at sea in the non-EU country without allowing them to enter Italy. Those centers are not yet operational amid legal challenges.