Following the rescue of 289 people on August 31, 2024, Italian authorities detained the ship Sea-Watch 5 for 20 days. The ship had previously been assigned the port of Civitavecchia, almost 1000 kilometers far, where the rescued people went ashore. The basis for the detention is the so-called Piantedosi Decree introduced in January 2023, which deliberately and unlawfully attacks the work of civil rescue organizations.
On the morning of August 31, 2024, the crew of the Sea-Watch 5 was able to save 289 people from drowning in four operations in international waters off Libya. The people had previously been spotted scattered on four unseaworthy wooden boats. After the Italian authorities assigned Civitavecchia, almost 1000 kilometers away, as a port, a 17-year-old had to be medically evacuated by Maltese emergency services as his medical condition did not permit the long journey.
After landing the remaining 288 survivors, the Sea-Watch 5 was detained by Italian authorities on Tuesday evening, September 3, and fined up to €10,000. Italy accuses Sea-Watch of having rescued without permission from the Libyan authorities. The accusations made by the authorities are false: Following the 1982 UNCLOS regulation, permission for the rescue is not required under international law. In addition, the state authorities in Italy, Malta and Germany were informed about the sea emergencies and rescues.
Although the coordination center in Libya does not meet the necessary international standards, it was also informed by Sea-Watch. Every year, the so-called Libyan coast guard abducts thousands of people to the civil war country, where they are subjected to torture, rape and slavery. As recently as April, the Italian court in Crotone ruled that the Libyan authorities are not carrying out search and rescue operations as they are violating the rights of refugees on a daily basis. Earlier this year, Italy’s highest court also ruled that Libya cannot be classified as a safe haven.
Chiara Milanese, head of operations on the Sea-Watch 5: “Italy is punishing us for complying with international law and our duty to rescue. The price is paid by people on the move who drown with no prospect of rescue. Who will put those responsible for the mass murder in the Mediterranean to court?”
