After rescuing 289 from drowning, Sea Watch vessel is detained by Italians
Italy detains rescue ship for 20 days for having rescued 289 from drowning in high seas off Libya
Italian authorities have detained the rescue charity ship Sea-Watch 5 for 20 days after having rescued 289 people in danger of losing their lives at sea, and bringing them to Italian shores.
The ship, which operates around the Maltese search and rescue area in the Mediterranean, was told to take its rescues to the Roman port of Civitavecchia, almost 1,000 kilometres away from where the assistance request was made.
The basis for the detention is the so-called Piantedosi Decree, introduced in January 2023, which deliberately attacks the work of civil rescue organisations in the Mediterranean.
The Sea-Watch 5 saved 289 people from unseaworthy boats on 31 August in four operations in international waters off Libya.
After the Italian authorities assigned Civitavecchia as a safe port, a 17-year-old had to be medically evacuated by Maltese forces as his medical condition did not permit the long journey.
After landing the remaining 288 survivors, the Sea-Watch 5 was detained by Italian authorities on Tuesday 3 September, and fined up to €10,000.
Italy is accusing Sea-Watch of having rescued the asylum seekers at sea, without clearance from the Libyan authorities.
“The accusations made by the authorities are false: following the 1982 UNCLOS regulation, permission for the rescue is not required under international law. In addition, the state authorities in Italy, Malta and Germany were informed about the sea emergencies and rescues,” Sea-Watch 5 head of operations Chiara Milanese said.
Sea-Watch said it had informed the coordination centre in Libya of the rescue, even though it does not meet necessary international standards. “Every year, the so-called Libyan coast guard abducts thousands of people to the civil war country, where they are subjected to torture, rape and slavery. As recently as April, the Italian court in Crotone ruled that the Libyan authorities are not carrying out search and rescue operations as they are violating the rights of refugees on a daily basis. Earlier this year, Italy's highest court also ruled that Libya cannot be classified as a safe haven,” Milanese said.
“Italy is punishing us for complying with international law and our duty to rescue. The price is paid by people on the move who drown with no prospect of rescue. Who will put those responsible for the mass murder in the Mediterranean to court?”
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
