After brief replies from the Prosecutor's Office and the defense, the judges of the Palermo court called to issue the verdict in the trial in which Lega leader Matteo Salvini is accused of refusing to perform official duties and kidnapping have retired to the council chamber. The verdict in the Open Arms case is not expected before 6:00 p.m.

The prosecution requested a 6-year prison sentence for the minister , while the defense requested an acquittal.

The leader of the League is accused of kidnapping and refusal to perform official duties for having prevented the disembarkation of 147 migrants aboard the ship of the Spanish NGO in August 2019, when he was Interior Minister of the first Conte government .

"I am absolutely proud of what I have done, I have kept the promises I made, I have fought mass immigration. Whatever the sentence, today is a beautiful day for me because I am proud to have defended my country. I would and will do everything I have done again and I am happy with the demonstrations of affection that so many Italians are bringing me. I enter the courtroom proud of my work. I will absolutely not give up", declares Matteo Salvini before entering the bunker courtroom of the Pagliarelli prison, packed with the public and journalists. Also present is the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara.

"If they declare me innocent I will be happy for my children and because I did my job. If they declare me guilty I will be happy anyway, I have absolutely no regrets, I defended my country from illegal immigrants and traffickers", he said yesterday in a live social. " If they acquit me I have done my duty and bye bye left. If convicted we will appeal, I would consider it a profound injustice and damage not to me but to the country ".

The deputy prime minister has received solidarity from allies across Europe and even from overseas, from Elon Musk. "It is absurd that Salvini is being tried for defending Italy."

ACCUSATION AND DEFENSE

"You cannot invoke the defense of the borders without taking into account the protection of 147 lives at sea," said Deputy Prosecutor Sabella in his closing statement , reiterating that "this is not a political trial but one based on administrative acts" and that Salvini, by preventing the landing, had made "a personal choice that went beyond the government line" , which was to redistribute the migrants. That "first they are made to disembark, then they are redistributed, otherwise politics is made on the suffering of others. The person at sea must be saved, whoever they are."

Lawyer Giulia Bongiorno in her speech had underlined that if Salvini is accused of having held migrants on board from 14 to 19 August, Open Arms did so from 1 to 14 " when it was clear to everyone that it had the duty to go to Spain ". Because " there is a right to disembark, but not the right to choose where and how to disembark them . There was a safe port in two hours, instead the ship was idling for days".

(Online Union)

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