Sicilian Court Acquits Salvini in Migrant Detention Case

A Sicilian court acquitted Vice Premier Matteo Salvini of charges related to the 2019 incident where he detained 100 migrants aboard a rescue ship as Italy's interior minister. The legal process in Italy allows for appeals, meaning the verdict isn't final yet. Salvini, now transport minister, defended his actions as border protection.

A Sicilian court has acquitted Italy's Vice Premier Matteo Salvini of charges stemming from a 2019 incident involving the detainment of 100 migrants on a humanitarian rescue ship. The court ruled Salvini was not guilty of illegally detaining the migrants when the ship was anchored at Lampedusa.

The case arose while Salvini served as interior minister, during which he refused to grant the stranded migrants permission to disembark from the Open Arms rescue ship. Although Salvini faced significant backlash, he maintained that his actions were in defense of Italy's borders.

According to Italian law, the judicial process allows for any decisions to be appealed, sometimes taking several years before reaching a conclusion. Currently serving as transport minister in Giorgia Meloni's far-right government, Salvini continues to stand by his past decisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)