The Palermo Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Cassation against the ruling that acquitted Lega leader Matteo Salvini of kidnapping and refusal to perform official duties in the Open Arms affair .
This is the so-called "appeal per saltum", an unusual move, which allows one to avoid the appeal judgment and directly obtain a ruling from the Supreme Court .
After a lengthy trial before the Palermo court, where he was accused of unlawfully detaining a group of migrants rescued at sea in August 2019 aboard the Open Arms NGO ship , preventing the vessel from landing in Lampedusa, Salvini was acquitted on December 20. The reasons for the sentence were filed in June.
The Prosecutor's Office has opted for a direct appeal to the Supreme Court of Cassation , which is the court of legitimacy, arguing that the acquittal does not refute the reconstruction of facts presented by the prosecution, which are therefore established, but merely states, misinterpreting international laws and conventions, that Italy was not obliged to assign a safe port (POS) to the Spanish vessel . Therefore, according to the prosecutors, a new appeal trial would be pointless.
(Unioneonline)
