A preliminary hearings judge in
Catania on Friday cleared League leader Matteo Salvini of
accusations that he effectively abducted 131 migrants who had
been rescued at sea by refusing to allow the Gregoretti.coast
guard ship that they were aboard to dock for several days when
he was interior minister in July 2019.
The judge upheld requests from both the defence team and
prosecutors to drop the case and not send Salvini to trial.
The State attorney had said no crime had been committed as
Salvini "did not violate any national and international
convention" and his choice to refuse a landing berth was a
policy agreed on with the rest of the government of the day.
Salvini, who was interior minister from June 2018 to September
2019 in ex-premier Giuseppe Conte's first government, has
repeatedly said he acted in the national interest.
The case is one of several stemming from Salvini's former closed
ports policy against migrant-rescue ships during his 14-month
stint as interior minister.
Salvini said the case should never have gotten this far after
the Senate voted to strip him of his parliamentary immunity in
relation to it last year in order for it to proceed.
"The judge studied the case, worked and took on his
responsibilities," Salvini said.
"I'm just sorry about the cost of these days (in court) for the
Italian citizens.
"Italy is the only country in the EU where the political left
sends a minister to trial, not for acts of corruption, but for
the decisions of government.
"We have the most retrograde left on the European continent,
which uses the judiciary to win elections that it cannot win at
the ballot box".
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