Minister Matteo Salvini in Palermo for the last hearing of the Open Arms trial.

After the avalanche of insults and threats on social media, following the request for a sentence made by the Prosecutor's Office at the trial of the deputy prime minister, accused of kidnapping and refusal to perform official duties, a bodyguard was assigned to prosecutor Giorgia Righi, one of the magistrates representing the prosecution. Righi, who is also part of the Anti-Mafia Directorate, was the only one in the pool not yet protected.

The Prosecutor's Office has asked for 6 years in prison for having prevented 5 years ago, when Salvini was Interior Minister in the Conte 1 government, the disembarkation of 147 migrants rescued by the Open Arms who remained at sea for 19 days.

The demonstration of the League in solidarity with the leader of the Carroccio is underway in Piazza Politeama. Also in the square are ministers Giuseppe Valditara and Roberto Calderoli as well as national and regional parliamentarians of the League. Also present are some militant citizens.

Support from Hungary comes from Viktor Orban: " We are with you, my friend! Matteo Salvini deserves a medal for defending Europe ," the Hungarian Prime Minister wrote in a tweet.

Bongiorno's speech

"Open Arms - said Salvini's lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, during her defense speech - had countless opportunities to disembark the rescued migrants, but it opposed countless refusals and from 1 to 14 August 2019 it chose to loiter instead of going to its flag state, Spain ."

"Open Arms - she continues - did not accidentally come across the boat with the migrants nor was it Alarm Phone who indicated the boat with the refugees to the NGO. The truth is that there was an agreed delivery because someone gave precise instructions to Open Arms long before Alarm Phone's report which, moreover, was not correct" . "Open Arms was heading to Lampedusa and instead suddenly changed direction and began to commute while waiting - she explains - At 8 there was a turn, a sudden change of course and at 8.30 a change of speed. What happened?", asks the criminal lawyer who