A court in Trapani, southern Italy, dismissed the case against several organizations that operated migrant rescue ships in the central Mediterranean, as well as ten crew members who were involved in rescue operations between Italy and northern Africa in 2016 and 2017, on Friday (April 19).

The ten people charged included four crew members of the ship 'Iuventa', which is operated by the German NGO Jugend Rettet (Youth Rescues), as well as six other people who had been part of rescue crews on ships operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Save the Children in 2016 and 2017. 

The defendants could have faced up to 20 years in prison if the case had gone to trial.

Iuventa crew celebrates court decision

The Iuventa crew tweeted about the dismissal of the case, saying that "after five years of investigation and two years of preliminary trial, both the prosecution and the judge admit that the accusations were baseless."

They said that in their view, the court decision confirmed "that this has been a political prosecution by the Italian authorities with the only aim of discouraging solidarity with migrants."

The 'Iuventa' had been detained by Italian authorities on Lampedusa in August 2017. It had been one of the first ships owned by a non-governmental organization (NGO) that carried out rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.

It has not carried out any rescue operations since its detainment. 

The defendants in the controversial case had been accused of collaborating with Libyan traffickers and facilitating 'illegal' immigration in 2016 and 2017. The case stretched on for nearly seven years.

In February, the prosecutors in Trapani had asked the court to dismiss the case, citing that there was insufficient evidence against the defendants.

NGOs decry 'increased criminalization' of rescue efforts

Amnesty International commented on the court decision in Trapani on X (formerly Twitter), calling it "good news," saying: "As we have said all along: saving lives is not a crime."

Several human rights organization have criticized the lack of European and Italian rescue efforts in the Central Mediterranean as well as the funding of so-called pullbacks by Libyan coast guards.

They have described the criminal cases against migrants who have piloted boats and NGO rescue crews as an effort to criminalize people's attempts to seek protection and legal rescue operations.

Meanwhile, several far-right politicians have accused NGOs operating rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea of encouraging irregular migration and trafficking and creating a "pull factor."

Current Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has claimed that NGO activities have led to "aid in the end [being] given not to those who need it but to those who have the money to pay traffickers."

With AFP, dpa, epd