The League is ready to take action if its leader, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, is convicted during a hearing scheduled for Friday, according to the party’s deputy leader, Andrea Crippa. The Salvini verdict will set the stall out on political limitations.
The trial, taking place in Palermo, involves charges of abduction and refusal to perform public duties. It concerns Salvini’s decision in August 2019 to prevent the disembarkation of 147 migrants rescued by the Spanish NGO vessel, Open Arms.
Prosecutors in the Sicilian city have called for a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, who was serving as interior minister at the time. Crippa defended Salvini’s actions, stating they were aimed at protecting Italy’s borders. Speaking to Affaritaliani.it, Crippa described a potential guilty verdict as “a very serious matter,” claiming it would represent a conviction not only against Salvini but also against the Italian Parliament, citizens, and the current government.
“The entire party stands firmly with our leader and is ready to mobilize if a conviction occurs,” Crippa added.
In October, League members, including Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, Regional Affairs Minister Roberto Calderoli, and other national and regional lawmakers, staged a protest in Palermo in solidarity with Salvini after prosecutors sought the six-year jail term.
Salvini’s actions were part of his controversial “closed ports” policy, which aimed to block NGO-operated migrant rescue ships from docking in Italy.
In recent months, Salvini has complained of a ‘politicised judiciary’ as many government migration policies are questioned in court. If the Salvini verdict is guilty and imprisonment, it could be a very interesting New Year as politicians and judges pitch against each other.
