Actor Richard Carey testifies in Italy’s Palermo

From Rome

Famous American actor Richard Kerr, “Beautiful Girl” and “Shall We Dance?” Among the many films, he was accepted as a witness in the process that began Saturday morning in Sicily against former interior minister, immigrants and right-wing league leader Matteo Salvini. Investigation before the Criminal Division, Roberto Murcia. Salvini, who appeared in this first trial, was charged with kidnapping and negligence of duty and was not allowed in for nearly seven days.

During the trial, which took place in the bunker classroom of the Bugliarelli prison in Palermo (the capital of Sicily), the lawyer initially objected to Jerry’s presence, fearing that the trial would turn into a scene. But Open Arms security said “Jer was on board on August 9, 2019 and can tell us how the situation was on board”. Jer took the food for the immigrants to the open arms.

The ship was stranded in the Mediterranean for almost a week, and many of the settlers were unwell, including minors and women. The next hearing is set for December 17.

Salvini’s reaction

Salvini responded immediately (Photo). “I learned the process they were doing to me in Palermo because I tried to arrest human traffickers, and in witnesses I was accused of being a racist and oppressor by Richard Kerr. I thought he was an actor. I told my lawyer I should, ”he commented badly.

Salvini, who was interior minister at the time of the incident, stressed that “it is not the minister’s right, it is his duty to prevent indirect immigration.” “At least I’ll ask for an autograph to bring to my son,” he said with a smile when I saw Jerry.

Upon learning that the lawyer accepted Gerrard’s testimony, Salvini added: “Could such a process be serious?” “How serious is the process by which Richard Kerr comes in to testify from Hollywood about my misconduct?” As he left the interrogation room, he told reporters: “I hope this process will last as short as possible, because there are other important things to look out for. And for the time I take ”.

The trial, which was dedicated to accepting witnesses and documents, also accepted former prime minister and representative of the five-star movement Giuseppe Conte and current Interior Minister Louisiana Lamorgis, who replaced Salvini as interior minister. He continued in office on September 5, 2019 and in the government of the current Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

Defended by Giulia Pongiarno, the Sicilian lawyer for the Salvini League, she has been a senator since 2018 and was Minister of Public Administration during the first Conte government.

There are no “safe ports”

In the summer of 2019 (Europe), then-Interior Minister Salvini erected a “wall” of barriers in the Mediterranean to prevent seafarers from anchoring in Italian ports, thus denying them the opportunity to provide “safe ports”. For ships in distress, it was encouraged by the European Union. According to former Prime Minister Conte, it is the full responsibility of the Interior Minister to provide or not provide a safe port, i.e. Salvini.

The situation that year was dramatic. Many boats carrying migrants departed from the ports of Libya (one of the closest North African countries to Italy) where there was a liquid market for human traffickers. Immigrants from many Sahara countries, they crossed the Sahara in dire circumstances, but paid the smugglers and were imprisoned in real Libyan (female prostitutes) for months and sometimes until they were paid and sent back by dozens of small boats that ended up sinking them. The kidnappers often called the families of young immigrants asking for more money, otherwise they would have killed their son, as many who were able to reach Europe said.

The week the refugees were locked up in open arms unable to disembark, everyone was evicted by the decision of the city attorney’s office in Aguirre (Sicily) and described Salvini’s decision as a bad fact. A public official misrepresents his or her actions because it is harmful to minorities. In August 2019 alone, Open Arms rescued 55 people in Libyan territorial waters, and another 69 near the island of Malta, and 147 people who instigated the lawsuit against Salvini. Other NGOs dedicated to open arms and rescue (such as maritime surveillance and ocean viking) are not assigned a “safe harbor” to land.

It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. But his defense is playing with a card in his favor: a sentence handed down by judges in Catania (Sicily) last May acquitted Salvini of a similar case, which was rescued in August 2019, in the port of Augusta by 131 immigrants aboard the Gregory Guard ship.