Former Italian Interior Minister and leader of the far-right La Liga party, Matteo Salvini, has mocked the inclusion of American actor Richard Gere among the witnesses of his trial for preventing the landing of the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms in 2019.
“Does a process in which Richard Gere comes from Hollywood seem normal to you? I usually stay with my children on Saturday mornings, “said Salvini after the first hearing of the trial was held, outside the courthouse, according to the Adnkronos news agency.
In addition to Gere, they will also be present as witnesses at the trial and the exprimer Italian minister Giuseppe Conte, then leader of the Government, and the former Minister of Labor and Social Policies, now Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, as confirmed by the court.
Richard Gere was present on the ship during the blockade
American actor will appear at the request of the NGO Open Arms, as he was present on the ship during the blockade, in August 2019, to express his support for the crew and the people they were transporting.
He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison
Salvini, accused of deprivation of liberty and abuse of authority for preventing the landing, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for declaring this ban, one of the high points in their fight against the migratory wave.
The next hearing will be held on December 17. Before the session, the former Interior Minister wrote a message on Twitter in which has criticized the process, that described as “searched on the left and by advocates of illegal immigration. ”
Salvini has assured all this time that he acted in defense of Italy and the interests of the Government, and defended himself saying there was a risk of landing smugglers, who had hidden among the migrants.
Nevertheless, the court has rejected this version of events. “In none of the accesses on board by the Italian authorities did the migrants ever show any indication of specific, concrete and objective dangerous conditions,” the court defended.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
