The hearing of the Open Arms trial at the Pagliarelli prison in Palermo focused on the discussion of the civil parties. In a previous hearing, the prosecutors requested a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, accused of kidnapping and abuse of office for preventing the disembarkation of 147 migrants rescued by the Open Arms ship five years ago. During the current hearing, the civil party lawyers requested over a million euros as compensation for their clients, including individual survivors, and non-governmental organizations. The trial will resume on October 18th, with Salvini’s defense presenting their arguments. The judges will then convene in a closed session to deliberate.
The City of Barcelona, Spain, has joined as a civil party in the case, accusing Salvini of kidnapping and abuse of office. They submitted their requests to the court. The legal representative of the City of Palermo, which was under the leadership of Leoluca Orlando when it joined the case, was not present. Since June 2022, Roberto Lagalla has been the mayor of Palermo. Failure to submit a request before the verdict may result in the City of Palermo losing its status as a civil party. During a meeting in Budapest between Salvini and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Orban inquired about the Palermo trial and assured Salvini that a delegation from his party and other European allies would attend events in Pontida on October 6th and in Sicily on October 18th.
In Budapest, Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League and Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on September 20, 2024. Orban asked Salvini for information about the Palermo trial. Following the meeting, the League announced that Orban had pledged to send a delegation from his party and other European allies to attend events in Italy, including Giulia Bongiorno’s defense presentation on October 18th. The presence of Orban’s delegation is seen as a show of support for Salvini and his party.
The trial of Matteo Salvini for his actions related to the Open Arms incident has garnered significant attention, with civil parties seeking compensation for damages incurred by their clients, including survivors and non-governmental organizations. The prosecutors have requested a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, accusing him of kidnapping and abuse of office for preventing the disembarkation of rescued migrants. The trial will continue on October 18th, with Salvini’s defense presenting their arguments. The involvement of the City of Barcelona as a civil party adds another dimension to the case, with the City of Palermo potentially at risk of losing its standing if a request is not submitted before the verdict.
The meeting between Salvini and Orban in Budapest on September 20, 2024, further highlighted the international interest in the Palermo trial. Orban’s inquiry about the trial and his pledge to send a delegation to Italy for key events demonstrate the significance of the case. The presence of allies from across Europe at events in Italy is seen as a gesture of support for Salvini and his party. The outcome of the trial and the level of support Salvini receives from his allies will be closely watched as the legal proceedings continue.
