Italy's far-right deputy prime minister charged for blocking refugee ship entry ends up not guilty

Italy's deputy prime minister, who was accused of blocking the entry of an international rescue ship in 2019, has been found not guilty.

A Sicilian court acquitted Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on charges of illegal detention and abuse of authority on Tuesday.

In August 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini, then interior minister, blocked the entry of the Spanish-based international aid group Open Arms rescue ship into Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa carrying 147 African migrants rescued from the Mediterranean.

Rescue ships were held at nearby waters for three weeks at the time, and passengers trapped inside the ship faced a survival crisis in extremely poor conditions in midsummer, with some throwing themselves into the sea.

Salvini, who has led a hard-line refugee policy on the far right, stepped down as interior minister shortly after the incident and is now deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure and transport in Jorja Meloni's government.

Prosecutors sought a six-year prison term for Deputy Prime Minister Salvini on charges such as illegal detention, but the court found the evidence presented by prosecutors was not enough to prove guilty.

"This is a beautiful day for Italy," Salvini told reporters after the ruling. "It is not a crime, it is a right to protect the border."

Meloni expressed great satisfaction with the ruling, saying it proved the accusations against Salvini were "baseless and surreal."

On the other hand, "Open Arms" founder Osk Camps says he wants prosecutors to appeal.

"Through this trial, we wanted to restore the dignity of 147 people who were trapped on board for 20 days and deprived of their freedom," Camps said, adding that he would continue life-saving efforts.