Italian Deputy Prime Minister Salvini faces further trial of immigration ships

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini will once again judge his arrival against Mediterranean refugees.

The prosecutor’s office said Friday it filed an appeal against a previous acquittal ruling.

The case will now go directly to the Italian Supreme Court in Rome. The date for the new trial has not been determined.

As the transport minister and deputy to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Salvini is one of the central figures in the Rome right-wing trilateral alliance.

During his former cabinet as Interior Minister, he was known internationally for his strong stance on immigration, especially those arriving from the Middle East and North Africa by boat.

There were several disputes with German aid organizations, and they rescued immigrants at sea.

The head of the Right-wing Alliance Party held a trial in Sicily until December last year for preventing a ship carrying refugees at the Interior Minister from entering the port for weeks.

Palermo court acquitted Salvini, allegations of deprivation of liberty and abuse of office.

The open-air ships belonging to Spanish organizations are located near the island of Lampedusa, with more than 160 immigrants, but are not allowed to enter the port. People jump into the water and try to swim.

It was allowed to dock only if the prosecutor ordered against the minister’s wishes.

With its long coastline and islands, Italy is a European country, especially affected by ocean migration.

Salvini describes himself as a victim of a politicized judiciary and accuses him of persecuting him for political reasons.