A spokesperson of the German NGO SOS Humanity said that the scope for humanitarian organizations to save lives in the central Mediterranean Sea is "currently dramatically limited."

Marie Michel told reporters that although "Italy and European states must abide by their duty to rescue at sea and safeguard civil rescue," the "seizing our rescue ship Humanity 1 and assigning faraway ports for the disembarkation of rescued people" made this practically next to impossible.

"Our humanitarian work is systematically hindered by the (Italian) government," she added.

'Cruel to be punished for saving lives'

Michel said she found it "cruel that, as a civil sea rescue organization, we abide by our duty, imposed by international law, of saving human lives in the central Mediterranean and carrying out urgent and necessary humanitarian work, and then we are punished for this."

She told the Italian ANSA news agency that the responsibility of saving human lives at sea actually "belongs to states."

Seizure of March 4 suspended on the 18th, hearing on April 17 to decide on the case

The ship of the nongovernmental organization, Humanity 1, was seized at the beginning of March for allegedly violating the so-called Piantedosi decree after it docked in Crotone, Calabria with 77 migrants on board.

The administrative seizure was later suspended on March 18, although the hearing to decide on the merits of the case is scheduled on April 17.

The seizure, in addition to the detention of other rescue ships -- such as the Geo Barents, the Sea Watch 5 and the Sea Eye 4 -- means that four NGO-run migrant rescue vessels have been seized by Italian authorities in March alone.