On 11 May 2026, an armed patrol boat operated by the so-called Libyan coastguard opened fire on the civilian rescue vessel Sea-Watch 5 in international waters and threatened to board the ship and abduct those on board to Libya. The attack took place approximately 55 nautical miles north of Tripoli, in international waters. Shortly beforehand, the 30-member crew had rescued 90 people in distress at sea, including several in acute medical emergency. Despite the violent incident, Italian authorities have now assigned Sea-Watch 5 the port of Brindisi – more than 1,000 km and nearly four days of sailing from the rescue location. This early morning, May 12, the Sea-Watch crew rescued approximately 67 more people in distress in the Maltese search and rescue zone.
The attack began at around 11 a.m. on Monday morning. First, a single shot was fired, followed by a burst of approximately ten to fifteen further shots – without any warning. Over radio communication, the militia ordered the Sea-Watch 5 to sail to Libya. When the crew refused, the attackers threatened to board the vessel. The crew immediately issued a mayday call, informed the responsible Italian and German authorities, and maintained course northwards. For several hours, the vessel was pursued by boats operated by the so-called Libyan coastguard. At least one of them was identified as a Corrubia-class patrol boat, a type of vessel previously supplied to Libyan authorities by Italy.
While the immediate danger had subsided by Monday afternoon, both crew and rescued survivors remain heavily affected by the incident. Sea-Watch 5 is currently heading towards the Italian port of Brindisi assigned by authorities, which is almost four days away by sea. Italian authorities systematically force civilian rescue vessels to disembark survivors in distant ports. En route today, May 12, the Sea-Watch crew found approximately 64 more people in distress at sea and took them on board.
Giulia Messmer, spokesperson for Sea-Watch:
The European Union has helped create a violent monster in the form of the so-called Libyan coastguard that it is now either unwilling or unable to control. Since 2016, we have documented more than 75 cases of extreme violence committed by Libyan militias in the Mediterranean. Protection from Italy? None. Consequences for this escalation of violence? None either.
Just last week, German authorities raised the security level for the so-called Libyan SAR region to Level 2, while themselves acknowledging that the attacks are, with high probability, carried out by parts of the so-called Libyan coastguard – official EU partners.
As the flag state, Germany bears responsibility for the safety of the ship and its crew. The German government must publicly name this attack for what it is: a grave violation of international maritime law, a serious attack on the safety of navigation and freedom of movement on the high seas, and a breach of fundamental human rights obligations. Diplomatic consequences must follow. By way of background: since November 2025, the German government has enabled, among other measures, the potential training of the so-called Libyan coastguard by the German armed forces within the framework of the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI mission.
In September 2025, the crew of Sea-Watch 5 had already come under fire from Libyan units following a rescue operation. In response, Sea-Watch filed criminal complaints in Hamburg and Rome in April 2026.
Sea-Watch calls on the European Commission to end all cooperation with the so-called Libyan coastguard. A failure to impose consequences will be understood as encouragement and will lead to further escalations. Italian authorities must now assign Sea-Watch 5 the nearest safe port in order to ensure the swift and dignified disembarkation of all survivors on board.
