Open Arms: the Supreme Court judge, "confirm Salvini’s acquittal". The sentence is awaited

Confirm the acquittal of minister Matteo Salvini within the scope of the proceedings Open Arms. She asked for it general prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court, at the conclusion of the indictment before the judges of the fifth criminal section of the Supreme Court. According to the prosecutors Luigi Giordano and Antonietta Picardi, the appeal presented by the Palermo prosecutor’s office against the acquittal of the current deputy prime minister in first instance must be rejected.

The fifth criminal section of the Supreme Court is called a examine the appeal “per saltum” presented by the Palermo prosecutors directly to the Supreme Court against the sentence with which the Palermo court, in December 2024, acquitted Salvini, with the formula “because the fact does not exist”, from charges of kidnapping and refusal of official documents. The story concerns the denial of disembarkation to 147 migrants, including many minors, rescued by the NGO Open Arms during three rescues in August 2019, when the current Minister of Transport held the position of Minister of the Interior.

Bongiorno: “The prosecutor’s appeal is inadmissible”

“For us this appeal is totally inadmissible.”The lawyer told reporters Giulia BongiornoSalvini’s defender, entering the Supreme Court. Then taking the floor in the courtroom, the criminal lawyer pointed the finger at the act of the Palermo prosecutors, “a clearly incomplete and generic appeal”, which “contests in a barrage of any violation of the law. The process which today proposes the appeal – added Bongiorno – is another process: this is not at all a ‘per saltum’ appeal. A ploy is used: all the alleged violations of the law are anchored to distorted factual circumstances”.

Judges in chambers

Shortly after 1pm, they entered the council chamber the judges of the fifth criminal section of the Cassation, chaired by Maria Vessicchelli. The decision of the Supreme Court judges is expected in the next few hours.

Both the general prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court and Salvini’s defense, as mentioned, requested confirmation of the acquittal sentence. From the civil partiesinstead, the request came from theacceptance of the prosecutor’s appeal, and, therefore, to annul the contested sentence because “the proof of the existence of fraud is in the facts and testimonies. Over 140 shipwrecked people who found themselves off the Italian coast were not allowed to disembark for days, violating international and constitutional norms and their dignity”, underlined the lawyers.