Italy

Italy's Deputy PM Cleared in Migrant 'Kidnapping' Trial

DEC 20 2024·Updated DEC 23 2024

Story

Above: Matteo Salvini speaks to the press on Dec. 21, 2024, following his acquittal at the Open Arms trial. Image credit: Marco Ravagli/Contributor/Future Publishing via Getty Images

The Facts

A court in Palermo, Sicily, acquitted Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on Friday of charges related to an alleged migrants kidnapping case dating back to 2019 on grounds that the claimed facts never took place.
CNN
EuroNews
BBC News
Salvini, the then-interior minister, had been under trial since mid-to-late 2021 for his purported refusal to allow 147 people, including children, to land in Lampedusa for nearly three weeks after Spanish non-government organization Open Arms rescued them off the Libyan coast.
BBC News
Politico
The New York Times
Prosecutors had sought a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, as well as an additional €1M compensation for damages, on counts of kidnapping and dereliction of duty as he allegedly exceeded his powers at a time when national security wasn't at risk.
BBC News
Politico
Agenzia ANSA
On Saturday, Salvini pushed for justice reform to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors and to allow magistrates to be prosecuted in civil courts for intentional bad decisions.
Agenzia ANSA
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government and the judiciary have been in a row over the legality of a plan to send asylum seekers to centers in Albania for processing, pending a ruling of the European Court of Justice.
CNN
Euractiv
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 1M migrants arrived in Italy by boat over the past decade, including nearly 65K people from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, 2024.
UNHCR

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Conservative narrative

This sentence is a victory for common sense and democratic institutions in Italy. As an elected representative of the people, Salvini took legitimate measures in the best interest of his country and in full compliance with his duties to protect the borders and combat mass illegal immigration.

European Conservative

Progressive narrative

This sentence is disgraceful, as Salvini should have been found guilty. It's clear that his decision not to allow the 147 people to land in Lampedusa for 20 days meant that those onboard had their dignity harmed and were deprived of their liberty — and that should never happen in a country like Italy.