A prosecutor in Italy is demanding a six-year prison sentence for far-right politician Matteo Salvini in a court case that has been ongoing for several years.
The case concerns an incident in 2019, when then-Deputy Prime Minister Salvini is accused of having forced 147 migrants to stay at sea. The migrant ship, operated by the organization Open Arms, applied to dock at an Italian port.
The leader of the League party, Salvini, who was previously also Interior Minister and now holds a high post in the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni, responded on social media that the prosecutor's demand was "nonsense".
"Defending Italy is not a crime", wrote the xenophobic Salvini.
A verdict is expected in October. The trial began in October 2021.
The ship in question was able to dock on the island of Lampedusa – after weeks at sea – following an Italian court decision.
