A spokesperson for SOS Humanity said the charity was "falsely accused" of failing to coordinate with Libyan authorities and of putting migrants' lives at risk during a sea rescue. The charity said Libyan officers threatened its staff and migrants with a machine gun. The humanitarian rescue group SOS Humanity on Wednesday protested Italy’s seizure of its migrant rescue ship Humanity 1, fresh from a weekend rescue during which the charity said Libyan Coast Guard fired live bullets and used violence. Under international humanitarian law, migrants cannot be forcibly returned to countries where they risk serious ill-treatment, and widespread migrant abuse has been extensively documented in Libya. At the same time, Italy and other European Union governments are trying to curb the inflow of sea migrants from North Africa, and have offered money or equipment to Libya and Tunisia to stop departures from their shores.
