A case against sea rescuers ran in Italy for seven years. The helpers – including on the German ship “Iuventa” – were accused of working with smugglers. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief.
The court in the port city of Trapani in Sicily concluded that there was a lack of evidence to convict the crews of a total of three rescue ships. Including the ship “Iuventa” belonging to the German organization “Jugend Saves”.
Eight years ago, the crews were targeted by the then center-left government. They were accused of working with smugglers in Libya. The “Iuventa” was then arrested in Italy. A total of 21 sea rescuers, including those from the organization “Doctors Without Borders”, had to answer for a lengthy court case. They faced up to 20 years in prison.
A “political farce”
Today on Platform X, “Youth Saves” speaks of a “long overdue admission by the Italian justice system”. The case was a political farce from the start. As part of the investigation, humanitarian aid workers, journalists and lawyers were intercepted.
Doctors Without Borders said the rescue efforts should be deliberately portrayed as criminal acts. The non-governmental organizations believe that the case marks the beginning of a public defamation campaign against civilian sea rescue. The responsible public prosecutor’s office had already recommended discontinuing the proceedings in February.
Moritz Pompl, ARD Rome, tagesschau, April 19, 2024 4:54 p.m