Six humanitarian workers from the Italian charity Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH) have gone on trial in Sicily, marking the first case of its kind in Italy. They stand accused of aiding illegal immigration during a 2020 rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea.
The case revolves around the Mare Jonio, a rescue vessel operated by MSH, which transported 27 migrants from the Danish tanker Maersk Etienne to Italy after they were stranded at sea for over a month. Both Italy and Malta had refused to allow the migrants to disembark, prompting the charity’s intervention.
Among the defendants are MSH co-founder Luca Casarini, the ship’s captain, and three crew members, including a doctor. Prosecutors allege that their actions were not purely humanitarian, pointing to a €125,000 payment from shipping giant Maersk to MSH months after the operation.
However, Maersk clarified that the payment was only meant to reimburse “some of the costs” incurred by the rescue and emphasized that there was no discussion of financial compensation during the mission. The company also commended MSH for stepping in when repeated calls for help were ignored, describing the situation on board as “dire from a humanitarian point of view.”
MSH maintains that the payment was a “transparent donation” and insists that their actions were guided solely by humanitarian principles. Defense lawyers have argued that rescuing and providing medical care to people in distress at sea cannot be criminalized.
At the opening hearing in Ragusa, defense lawyer Fabio Lanfranca raised concerns about the use of wiretapped conversations involving lawyers, journalists, clergy, and members of parliament, calling them a breach of professional confidentiality. Co-counsel Serena Romano further questioned whether offering medical help to migrants could ever be considered a crime.
The next court hearing is scheduled for January 13. The case is being closely watched across Europe, as it could set a precedent for how humanitarian rescue missions are treated under Italian law.
The trial unfolds amid growing tensions between migrant rescue organizations and Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Since taking office in 2022, her administration has sought to tighten migration control and restrict NGO-led rescue operations, arguing that such missions act as a “pull factor” for migrants attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.
Despite this stance, data show that NGO rescue ships account for only a small fraction of total migrant arrivals in Italy. Human rights groups have condemned the trial, warning that it criminalizes humanitarian aid and endangers future rescue efforts in one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.