If this should cause me problems and suffering, I'll gladly take it on," Salvini wrote on Facebook. During his 14 months as interior minister, Salvini stopped several boats from docking in Italy in an effort to halt migrant flows. He regularly accused migrant rescue charities of effectively encouraging people smuggling. Open Arms, the charity which operated the migrant rescue ship at the heart of the case, said it supported the prosecutor's application. "Violating the rights of vulnerable people is a crime in any democratic country," it wrote on Twitter.

Source: The Star March 20, 2021 16:01 UTC