Open Arms, the Prosecutor's Office appeals Salvini's acquittal. Meloni calls it "surreal persecution."

The legal proceedings surrounding the Open Arms case continue to command intense media and political attention in Italy. Following the acquittal of Matteo Salvini, accused of kidnapping for the blockade of the humanitarian ship in 2019, the Prosecutor's Office decided to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Cassation. The decision sparked a strong political backlash, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling the magistrates' actions "surreal relentlessness," reiterating the need to reform the Italian judicial system.

Direct appeal to the Supreme Court: the Prosecutor's Office reopens the Open Arms case.

The Palermo Public Prosecutor's Office has decided to appeal directly to the Court of Cassation the first-instance acquittal of Matteo Salvini , Interior Minister at the time, in the Open Arms trial. This atypical procedural decision, bypassing the usual process before the Court of Appeal , constitutes a legally rare initiative.

The magistrates challenge the reasoning behind the acquittal, arguing that the judge's reasoning is not supported by convincing legal arguments. According to the appeal, the prosecution acknowledged both the prolonged detention of the migrants on board the ship and the lack of decisive action by the minister, factors that, in their view, do not justify the acquittal.

Matteo Salvini, commenting on the news on the sidelines of an event in Milan, recalled having faced over thirty hearings and reiterated that the court acquitted him "because the fact did not exist," emphasizing that protecting national borders does not constitute a crime. He added that he was not concerned by the new judicial initiative, interpreting it as a sign that "some people are not giving up."

Through his social media channels, the Minister of Infrastructure reiterated the principle that the defense of national interests and borders should not be criminalized.

Open Arms: The Prosecutor's Office challenges Salvini's acquittal. Giorgia Meloni speaks out.

" This relentlessness is surreal , after a failed three-year trial that ended in a complete acquittal. I wonder what Italians think of all this energy and resources being wasted, while thousands of honest citizens await justice," commented Giorgia Meloni.

Also standing alongside Minister Salvini was Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi , who, speaking in Rome at the Brothers of Italy event "Talk about the Mafia," reaffirmed his commitment to combating illegal immigration during that period, calling it an operation not unlike the fight against the mafia. He also recalled having supported Minister Salvini in the Maxi Trial courtroom, participating in a five-hour interrogation.

“If Salvini is responsible for what he did, I consider myself morally responsible too.”

While emphasizing the legitimacy of the Prosecutor's appeal, as provided for by law, Piantedosi expressed regret, both on a human, personal, and professional level. He expressed confidence that in this case too, whether at the second instance or in the Supreme Court, an acquittal and the legitimacy of the action will be recognized.