Sea-Watch3 skipper Carola Rackete
on Friday filed a suit to close Interior Minister Matteo
Salvini's Facebook and Twitter accounts because they allegedly
stoked hate against her and the Sicilian prosecutor who released
her after she defied the minister's closed-ports policy,
Alessandra Vella.
In the suit, which attached rape threats against her from
social media haters who allegedly responded to Salvini's
criticism, the 31-year-old German migrant rescue ship captain
argued that far-right League leader Salvini, who called her "a
rich Communist scamp who shops in Portofino", spreads hatred and
instigates people to commit crimes.
Salvini has dismissed claims, notably from 5-Star Movement
(M5S) equal opportunities cabinet secretary Vincenzo Spadafora,
that his comments on Rackete were sexist, saying he would have
said the same things about a man.
He has called on Spadafora to resign "if he can't stand being
in government with dangerous male chauvinists and fascists".
The anti-establishment M5S is the League's partner in Italy's
populist government.
Spadafora stands by what he said and refuses to resign.
Salvini reacted to Rackete's announced suit Thursday by
saying "the German Communist, the one who rammed the finance
guard patrol boat, has asked prosecutors to close my Facebook
and Twitter pages.
"There's no end to how ridiculous things can get. So can I
use only Instagram now??"
The city council of Paris on Friday said Rackete and fellow
Sea-Watch3 captain Pia Klemp will receive its top prize, the
Grand Vermeil Medal, for saving migrants at sea.
The council said the award symbolised "solidarity for the
respect of human lives".
It said the two charity operators were "still being
prosecuted by Italian justice".
Rackete is under investigation for aiding and abetting
illegal immigration.
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