The Italian chapter of migrant-rescue
NGO Sea Watch said on Wednesday it would not be intimidated by
"anti-democratic bullies" after tech tycoon Elon Musk called it
a "criminal organization" on his platform X.
"We will not be intimidated by anti-democratic bullies who
threaten those who respect human rights, judges or NGOs", Sea
Watch Italia wrote on X.
"He calls us criminals.
"Our only 'crime' is to bear testimony to brutal policies at
sea, like failing to rescue" migrants, the NGO wrote, mentioning
a shipwreck off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa on September 2
in which 21 people died.
The Tesla, X and SpaceX owner Musk late on Tuesday wrote on his
platform that the German NGO is a "criminal organization" after
the group accused him of threatening the Italian justice system
over his criticism of the decision by Rome judges not to
validate the detention of a second group of migrants taken to
new Italian-run centres in Albania.
"These judges need to go," Musk wrote via X on a user's post on
the news of the suspension of the validation of the detention of
seven migrants decided by the immigration section of the Court
of Rome, which referred the case to the European Court of
Justice.
It is the second time the multi-billionaire, who was appointed
by US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to head a newly
created government efficiency agency, has spoken out on Italian
migration.
Last year, Musk slammed Germany's policy of helping charities
that rescue migrants and take them to Italy's shores.
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