ITALIAN COURT NIXES 2019 CASE VS SALVINI FOR BLOCKING IMMIGRANTS

An Italian court dismissed a case against former interior minister Matteo Salvini over his role in blocking migrants arriving by boat in 2019, according to the Adnkronos News Agency.

Carola Rackete, a German who captained the rescue boat Sea-Watch 3 in 2019, brought the charges that Salvini had incited crime with "messages of hate," according to the agency.

A judge in Milan ruled that it could not be shown that Salvini had intended for a specific crime to be committed with his messages.

Rackete was detained last year after she brought her ship, full of migrants, to a port in Lampedusa without first getting permission from Italian authorities.

Salvini, who opposes unregulated migration, had lashed out at Rackete and her mission during the summer.

Rackete subsequently pressed charges against Salvini, accusing him of fomenting hate. A separate case involving defamation charges against Salvini continues.

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