Matteo Salvini Definitively Acquitted in Open Arms Migrant Case

Supreme Court Upholds Acquittal

Italy's Supreme Court has delivered a definitive acquittal for Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in the 'Open Arms' case, bringing an end to a five-year legal saga. The ruling, issued on December 17, 2025, by the Court of Cassation in Rome, rejected an appeal from Palermo prosecutors, thereby upholding a previous acquittal by a Palermo court. Salvini, who served as Interior Minister at the time of the incident in 2019, had been accused of kidnapping and refusal to perform official duties for preventing a migrant rescue ship from docking in Italy.

The 2019 Open Arms Standoff

The case originated in August 2019 when Salvini, then leading the Interior Ministry, implemented a 'closed ports' policy. He denied permission for the Spanish NGO ship Open Arms to disembark 147 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel, operated by the non-profit organization Proactiva Open Arms, was left stranded off the coast of Lampedusa for 19 days, leading to deteriorating conditions on board. The migrants had been rescued in international waters, with some reports indicating the rescues occurred in Maltese waters.

Legal Battle and Previous Verdicts

Prosecutors in Palermo sought a six-year prison sentence for Salvini, arguing that his actions constituted unlawful deprivation of liberty and neglect of duty. The defense contended that Salvini was acting within his ministerial responsibilities to protect national borders and that the ship, flying a Spanish flag and conducting rescues in Maltese waters, was not Italy's direct responsibility. In December 2024, a court in Palermo initially acquitted Salvini, stating that 'no crime was committed.' However, Palermo prosecutors subsequently filed a 'per saltum' appeal directly to the Supreme Court, bypassing the usual appeals court, to challenge this verdict.

Reactions to the Final Ruling

Following the Supreme Court's decision, Matteo Salvini, now Italy's Transport Minister, reacted on social media platform X, stating, 'Defending borders is not a crime.' His sentiment was echoed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who expressed support, saying, 'A minister who defends Italy's borders is not committing a crime, but doing his duty.' Conversely, Oscar Camps, founder of the Open Arms NGO, criticized the ruling, calling it a 'political decision' and lamenting that 'Justice has not been done today either, but impunity has been created.'