Acquitted because the fact does not exist. The Open Arms trial against Matteo Salvini ends with this verdict, issued by the judges of the second criminal section of the Palermo court after 8 hours of deliberation. A trial that lasted three years, with the deputy prime minister accused of kidnapping and refusal of official acts for having prevented, according to the Palermo prosecutor's office which had requested a six-year prison sentence, the disembarkation of 142 migrants. Migrants forced to remain on board the Spanish NGO's ship for 19 days before the then chief prosecutor of Agrigento, Luigi Patronaggio, ordered the removal of the hull for hygienic-sanitary reasons.
IT WAS AUGUST 5 YEARS AGOSalvini was head of the Interior Ministry in Giuseppe Conte's yellow-green government. «I'm happy, after three years common sense has won, the League has won, Italy has won. It's a wonderful day”, commented Salvini. Shortly afterwards the entire government, starting with Prime Minister Meloni, rejoiced at the acquittal. Silence from the prosecutors. Upon reading the device, Salvini was immediately surrounded by the Northern League leaders who had remained in the chamber the entire day: the Minister of Education Valditara, the undersecretary Morelli, the deputy head of the League Claudio Durigon. He turns around, looks for his girlfriend Francesca Verdini. She is in tears. The lawyer Giulia Bongiorno rejoices and is moved. Applause starts in the room. The Northern League members embrace each other, the girlfriend makes space among the crowd, reaches the deputy prime minister. The two indulge in a long embrace. On the opposite side of the bunker room of the Paglierelli prison the mood is the opposite. «The regret is above all for the people, who, as we said from the first minute, were deprived of their freedom – commented Oscar Camps, founder of Open Arms -. We await the judges' reasons to evaluate whether to appeal the sentence as we hope the Prosecutor's Office will do. With this process, which is unique in Italian and European history, we wanted to restore dignity to the 147 people held on board and deprived of their freedom for 20 days.” And he adds bitterly: «In these three years of trial we have always said that we have suffered damage linked to the impossibility of continuing our mission: saving lives is what Open Arms has been doing for 10 years. Our work doesn't stop.”
THE LONG DAY it had begun around 9. Upon his arrival at the Pagliarelli prison bunker, Salvini immediately faced the crowd of reporters and cameras: “I am absolutely proud of what I did, I kept my promises, I fought mass immigration.” Inside the bunker there are already the prosecutors of the prosecution, Camps and the lawyers of the civil parties. There isn't a single free seat, even the room reserved for the public is full. “Whatever the sentence is, it's a good day for me because I'm proud to have defended my country,” he said. Adding: “I would and will do again everything I have done and I am happy with the demonstrations of affection that so many Italians are bringing me.” Valditara, Durigon and Morelli will remain with Salvini the whole day. «I am here because I am a friend of Matteo, to give him my closeness and my solidarity at this moment», said Valditara. Ten hours later, he will be the first to comment on the acquittal: “It's a great day for Italy.” When the judges enter the chamber the clock strikes 11.30. The verdict is expected at 7.30pm. Salvini reaches his girlfriend Francesca Verdini.
FOR ONE HOUR he then spends time with Valditara and the leaders of the League in a hotel in the city centre. From there he moves to a pastry shop in Palermo's living room to have lunch. The climate seems serene. Salvini takes selfies with a pastry shop employee and some passers-by. Then walk for almost 2 kilometers along Via Roma, stopping in Piazza San Domenico, in front of the Rinascente megastore: here are more selfies with some of the shop's orders. «Merry Christmas», wishes him a gentleman who hugs him. Instead of going shopping, as he had confided that he wanted to do with his girlfriend, the vice prime minister decides to go to Palazzo Reale, seat of the Sicilian regional assembly.
VISIT together with Francesca Verdini the Palatine Chapel, the Picasso exhibition and the Mattarella and Pio La Torre rooms. He also makes a sortie into the Sala d'Ercole, where the deputies meet to legislate. Time for a greeting with the president of Ars Gaetano Galvagno and off to the hotel to rest a little. Then the return to the bunker courtroom for the sentence. Two hours of waiting, Francesca is with him: she doesn't leave him for a moment, they hold hands, caress each other. Until the very end. Then the acquittal. The tears, the hugs.
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