The Solidarity Call for the Mediterranea Project
Mediterranea Saving Humans is under attack in Italy. Several members of Mediterranea are accused by the Office of Public Prosecutor of Ragusa of “facilitating illegal immigration.” It is definitely not the first time that such an accusation has been used to criminalize civil migrant rescue operations at sea. One of the prosecutors in Ragusa had initiated in 2004 the case against Cap Anamur, which ended in the full acquittal of all charges. In recent days other NGOs have been targeted with similar charges in Sicily. Solidarity with migrants and refugees reaching Italy across the “Balkan route” is also at the center of judicial investigations and police operations. Also migrants are criminalized, as in the case of the “El Hiblu 3” in Malta and Moria in Greece. Once again, we are confronted with attempts to give priority to border security over the duty to rescue people at risk. While lawyers continue to fight in court against such violations of international and human rights law, there is also a need to stand up politically and to affirm the key role of migrant sea rescue and solidarity practices in the struggle for a more open and democratic Europe
The link tells the story and makes a call for assistance.