Palermo prosecutors have requested a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, accusing him of preventing 147 migrants from landing in Lampedusa in 2019, when he was Minister of the Interior in the Conte government. Salvini faces charges of kidnapping for his actions regarding the Spanish ship Open Arms.
The request has sent shockwaves through Italian politics. Salvini responded, “I declare myself guilty of having defended Italy and the Italians, I declare myself guilty of having kept my word.” He added, “Never has any government and never any minister in history been accused and tried for having defended the borders of their country.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her support for Salvini, stating, “Turning the duty to protect Italian borders from illegal immigration into a crime is a very serious precedent, my total solidarity with Minister Salvini.”
The opposition strongly criticised this stance.
Not government strategy but boost to personal political support
Palermo prosecutors argue Salvini’s actions were not part of a government strategy but were intended to boost his political support by focusing on illegal immigration. They claim there was no terrorist threat on the ship and that the conditions of the migrants deteriorated daily. Prosecutor Marzia Sebella stated, “The POS [Port of Safety] should have been released immediately and without delay. The denial was in contempt of the rules and not part of a government plan.”
Sebella also emphasised the impact on the migrants: “Conscious and voluntary denial has damaged the freedom of each of the 147 people, and there was no reason.” She reflected on the absence of the migrants from the trial, stating, “Most of them are untraceable, but not because they are illegal immigrants or criminals, perhaps because they do not have a home. We will read the names of these people one by one to remember them.” Oscar Camps, founder of Open Arms, expressed appreciation for these words, saying, “We are excited.”
Salvini’s lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, disagreed: “It is enough to examine the documents, and not make hypotheses, to realise that throughout the trial Salvini acted correctly and paid the utmost attention to the health of the migrants.”
Not a political trial says deputy prosecutor
Deputy Prosecutor Geri Ferrara, alongside Giorgia Righi, stressed this is not a political trial, explaining they evaluated “administrative acts such as the delay or denial” of a disembarkation port.
“The key element was when Salvini took on the role of minister,” Ferrara said, adding that he moved control of disembarkation decisions to his cabinet. Ferrara also stated, “In our legal system, human rights prevail over the protection of the sovereignty of the State. A person at sea must be saved, regardless of whether they are a migrant, crew member, or passenger.”
As the defence prepares its response, scheduled for 18th October, Bongiorno accused the prosecution of playing politics, saying, “When he says that the technical table, the decrees, and the directives are all unacceptable, he is putting the political line of that government on trial.” The final sentence is expected by the end of the year.
Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani supported Salvini, writing on X, “Matteo Salvini did his duty as Interior Minister to defend legality. Asking for six years in prison seems unreasonable and without legal basis.”
Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein criticised Meloni’s support for Salvini, calling it “highly inappropriate” and arguing for the separation of powers: “Institutional respect would require not commenting on open trials.”
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s Rassemblement National, also showed her support, stating on X, “We are united and more than ever by your side, Matteo.” Salvini responded, “Thank you Marine, I will not give up.”
