Row erupts on Salvini jail request on migrant kidnap

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 15 - A political-judiciary row has erupted in Italy following a Palermo prosecutor's request for a six-year jail term for former interior minister Matteo Salvini for allegedly kidnapping 147 migrants who he stopped from landing at Lampedusa for several days as part of his controversial closed ports policy for migrant rescue ships five years ago.
    Salvini said he was only defending Italian borders in keeping the migrants aboard Spanish NGO Open Arms ship as part of his hardline anti-migrant policy.
    He was defended by Premier Giorgia Meloni who voiced full solidarity with her colleague, who is now deputy premier and transport minister, and said the sentence request "sets a dangerous precedent", saying that defending Italy's borders was "not a crime".
    But centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein called Meloni's implicit criticism of the judiciary "inappropriate".
    Magistrates union ANM said Sunday that insinuations that the prosecutor was guilty of practising "political justice" were serious charges and placed unacceptable pressure on Italian judges.
    Salviini was also defended by his other government ally, centre-right post Berlusconi Forza Italia (FI) leader and deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani, who said "Matteo Salvini did his duty as interior minister in order to defend legality. Asking for six years in jail for this reason seems an unreasonable choice and has not juridical basis".
    Even Elon Musk weighed in on the case Saturday night with the Tesla, SpaceX and X chief saying "that crazy prosecutor should be the one going to jail for six years, this is crazy".
    AS the row continued to rumble on Sunday, Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa said Italian prosecutors often want to interpret rules rather than applying the law.
    "I have full faith in justice, but I think that often the prosecution, in trials such as this one, lets the argument prevail that they want to entrust the prosecutor with the task of extensive interpretation of the rules," said La Russa, a heavyweight in Meloni's rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
    La Russa is also the second highest institutional figure in Italy behind President Sergio Mattarella.
    "Justice according to them (the prosecutors) should interpret the rules and correct them," he continued.
    "But it is not up to the judiciary to correct the rules, even when they are wrong: it can only apply the law".
    Veteran former Palermo and Turin chief prosecutor Gian Carlo Caselli told Corriere della Sera Sunday that Italian politicians don't accept being judged by the judiciary.
    "It has become a habit, criticising a magistrate," said Caselli, who led high-profile graft and mafia cases in his long and distinguished career.
    "But by doing that you create a paradox. Those who do their duty even towards a politician, probing them for crimes, end up themselves in the dock and are paradoxically accused of doing politics".
    Salvini on Sunday thanked everyone for their support, publishing the statements from Meloni and Tajani among others.
    "Thank you all for the support. Surrender? Never. I do not give up," said the rightwing anti-immigrant League party leader.
    (ANSA).