The League is ready to mobilize if
its leader, Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo
Salvini, will be convicted at a hearing scheduled on Friday as
part of an ongoing trial in Palermo, the party's deputy leader
Andrea Crippa said Wednesday.
Prosecutors in the Sicilian city have requested a six-year jail
term for him on charges of abduction and refusal to perform
public acts for not allowing the disembarkation of 147 migrants
rescued by the Spanish NGO Open Arms vessel for 19 days on
August 14-20 2019 when he was interior minister.
Noting that Salvini could be found guilty of "defending the
borders of our country from the invasion of illegal immigrants",
Crippa told Affaritaliani.it that "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.
"The whole party stands with its leader and is ready to mobilize
in the event of a conviction", concluded Crippa.
In October, members of Salvini's League party staged a protest
in Palermo to express solidarity with their leader after local
prosecutors requested the six-year jail term, including
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara and Regional Affairs and
Autonomy Minister Roberto Calderoli, as well as national and
regional lawmakers.
Salvini's measure was part of the League leader's controversial
closed ports policy for NGO-run migrant rescue ships when he was
interior minister five years ago.
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