The Italian court in Trapani dismissed charges against crew members from three humanitarian organizations, including Jugend Rettet, Save The Children, and Doctors Without Borders, accused of collaborating with smugglers as they rescued thousands of migrants at sea. The crew members were fully acquitted of aiding and abetting illegal immigration after being accused of acting as “taxis” for migrants and coordinating with human traffickers off the coast of Libya. The Interior Ministry had joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, but prosecutors recommended in February to dismiss all charges, which the organizations had criticized for criminalizing their activities in the Mediterranean.
The Iuventa crew members claimed that the case initiated a public smear campaign against civil sea rescue, with accusations aimed at justifying crackdowns on rescue efforts. Jugend Rettet, whose ship aided over 14,000 people in distress from 2016 until its seizure in 2017, expressed relief at the court’s decision. Doctors Without Borders also emphasized the false accusations and criminalization campaigns that organizations conducting search and rescue operations at sea have faced over the years. Italian authorities began focusing on the issue in 2016, during a period when the country was experiencing a significant increase in migrants trying to reach Europe through its coasts under the center-left government.
Following the court’s ruling, Save The Children stated that the truth had been recognized and the crew members had been acquitted of the charges. More than 20 people, including boat captains, heads of mission, and legal representatives, had faced charges carrying sentences of up to 20 years but were now free from the case. The current right-wing government in Italy under Premier Giorgia Meloni has adopted a tougher stance against migrant rescues in the Mediterranean, imposing restrictions on the number of sea rescues allowed per ship and directing them to specific ports—measures that charitable organizations argue are detrimental to rescue operations.
The court’s decision to dismiss the charges against the crew members of the three humanitarian organizations involved in the Iuventa case marks a significant development in the ongoing debate surrounding migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The acquittal of the accused individuals and organizations has been welcomed by the defendants and highlighted as a recognition of the truth of their actions. The legal battle against the crew members spanned several years, with the organizations facing unfounded accusations and defamation, which they believe were part of a broader campaign against humanitarian efforts at sea. The case has brought attention to the challenges faced by NGOs involved in rescue missions in the Mediterranean and the political context in Italy, where the government’s policies have increasingly restricted their activities.
