Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has been acquitted in a criminal kidnapping case stemming from an incident in August 2019. The case involved Salvini's decision to prevent a migrant vessel from docking in Italy, leaving it stranded at sea. The judge ruled that 'the facts do not exist,' clearing Salvini of any wrongdoing.
The incident occurred when Salvini, who was serving as the interior minister at the time, blocked a Spanish-flagged NGO rescue boat, carrying 147 asylum seekers, from docking in Sicily. The migrants were left at sea in harsh conditions for 19 days before a court intervened and allowed them to come ashore. Children and vulnerable individuals onboard were airlifted to safety during the ordeal.
