After 7 years, Italy acquits activists who saved migrants at sea

The Italian Justice Department acquitted 19 activists on Friday (10) who had been accused for seven years of promoting illegal immigration.

The defendants worked for the NGOs Jugend Rettet, Save The Children and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

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The activists were accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Trapani, Sicily, of making deals with coyotes to smuggle migrants and of using humanitarian ships as “taxis” for foreigners without permission to enter Italy.

However, after an investigation that cost around 3 million euros (R$16,7 million), judge Samuele Corso decided to acquit the defendants because no evidence of crimes was found, a sentence received by applause from activists who were watching the trial.

“This decision recognizes the truth about our work and humanitarian efforts to save lives at sea,” said Daniela Fatarella, general director of Save The Children in Italy.

“The castle of unfounded accusations that deliberately undermined the credibility of humanitarian ships to divert them from the Mediterranean and interrupt their relief work has fallen”, reinforced Christos Christou, international president of Doctors Without Borders.

The NGO Jugend Rettet, for example, had its ship seized in 2017 and did not return to sea after the investigation, which served as fuel for the anti-immigration rhetoric of far-right forces in Italy. (HANDLE)