Proud of defending country says Salvini entering court

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 20 - Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on Friday said he was proud of keeping his promise to fight mass immigration, entering a bunker room of the Pagliarelli prison in Palermo for a hearing Friday during which the court is expected to deliver its ruling over Open Arms case, which saw him blocking the disembarkation of 147 migrants from the Spanish NGO ship off Lampedusa in August 2019 as part of his controversial closed-ports policy to curb irregular arrivals when he was interior minister.
    "I am absolutely proud of what I have done, I kept the promises made, I fought mass immigration.
    "No matter the sentence, today is a beautiful day because I defended my country.
    "I would and will do it all over again and I am happy of the affection shown by so many Italians.
    "I walk into court proud of my work - I will absolutely not give up", he said. Prosecutors have requested a six-year jail term for Salvini on charges of kidnapping and refusal to perform official acts for having prevented, five years ago, the disembarkation from the Spanish NGO rescue ship Open Arms of 147 migrants on Lampedusa for nearly three weeks.
    If convicted, the transport minister will have a right to two appeals before a definitive ruling that could bar him from holding office.
    He has said he will not be resigning if convicted at the first instance.
    The public at the hearing on Friday included Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara who told ANSA he was in attendance "as a friend of Matteo Salvini, to express my closeness and my solidarity at this time".
    Earlier this week, the deputy leader of the League party headed by Salvini, Andrea Crippa, said members are ready to mobilize if he is convicted.
    Noting that Salvini could be found guilty of "defending the borders of our country from the invasion of illegal immigrants", Crippa said "a potential conviction would be a very grave fact, a conviction for the entire Italian population, Parliament and thus for the cabinet elected by citizens". (ANSA).