The ruling refers to the police actions against the humanitarian ship captained by Carola Rackete.

On Wednesday, the Palermo Court in Sicilia ruled that the Italian state must compensate the German NGO Sea-Watch more than 76,000 euros for expenses stemming from the 2019 blockade of a ship captained by activist Carola Rackete.

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The decision states that the state must reimburse documented financial costs incurred by the organization between October and December 2019, including port and agency fees, fuel to keep the vessel operational, and legal expenses.

The events date back to June 2019, when Rackete, then captain of the vessel “Sea-Watch 3,” decided to enter without authorization the Lampedusa island to disembark 42 migrants she had rescued in the central Mediterranean.

With that action, the activist defied a ban imposed by then-Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, a far-right leader who maintained a strict “Closed Ports” policy.

After spending 17 days at the edge of Italy’s territorial waters, Rackete broke the blockade in a maneuver during which the humanitarian vessel struck a patrol boat of the border police, the Guardia di Finanza, leading to the her immediate arrest.

The text reads, “Sea Watch: Court rules against the state, requiring compensation for Carola Rackete”

Although she was released a few days later, she became a symbol of resistance against Salvini’s migration policies.

The Palermo court’s ruling came a day after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted a video on social media criticizing the judiciary for blocking the expulsion of a migrant with a criminal record.

Meloni accused a “politicized segment of the judiciary” of systematically obstructing the government’s actions against what she called “mass illegal immigration” and said her administration would continue “with determination” to combat irregular migration.

Last week, the Meloni administration introduced a package of measures to tighten its migration policy, including the possibility of imposing temporary naval blockades and fast-track procedures for the immediate return of migrants at the border.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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