Italy’s deputy prime minister and Lega leader Matteo Salvini faces a potential six-year prison sentence, as a lower court rules on the NGO ship dispute, according to Euractiv.
On Thursday, Salvini was accused of kidnapping and abuse of office in the Open Arms case, in which he blocked the disembarkation of 147 migrants from a Spanish NGO ship that got stuck half a mile off the island of Lampedusa in August 2019.
I am not worried; I am confident and determined.
At the time of the incident, he was the Minister of the Interior. Now, he risks six years in prison if he is found guilty and faces the maximum sentencing.
Salvini’s decision, according to Lega supporters, was a key part of the government’s border control policy at the time. Lega Deputy Secretary Andrea Crippa stated:
A conviction would be an extremely serious matter—a condemnation of the entire Italian people, the Parliament, and the government directly elected by the citizens. The entire party stands with its leader and is ready to mobilise if necessary.
