Matteo Salvini

Salvini was tried in Palermo for preventing people rescued by Open Arms from disembarking for several days in August 2019. He was acquitted at first instance, after which prosecutors appealed directly to the Court of Cassation.

Attribution

Accused

Course of the proceedings

1. Formally charged — Formal charge before the current outcome

Under Salvini's leadership, the League signed a cooperation agreement in 2017 with United Russia, Vladimir Putin's ruling party. Following the invasion of Ukraine and renewed controversies, the League declared in 2024 that the agreement no longer had any validity.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

During the confrontation involving Sea Watch 3, Salvini publicly described captain Carola Rackete as a criminal and accused her, among other things, of links to people smugglers. Rackete filed a complaint and proceedings for aggravated defamation were opened.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

An investigation examined negotiations at Moscow's Metropol Hotel allegedly intended to generate tens of millions to finance the League through an oil transaction. Associates of Salvini, including Gianluca Savoini, were investigated.

Salvini faced allegations of unlawful detention after the disembarkation of 131 migrants from the Gregoretti was delayed. The Senate authorised proceedings in 2020, but in 2021 the judge dismissed the case (non-lieu), a decision that became final, finding that the alleged act had not occurred.

Attribution

Accused

Course of the proceedings

1. Formally charged — Formal charge before the current outcome

The decrees championed by Salvini restricted several protections for migrants and asylum seekers and toughened security policy. Several mayors denounced alleged infringements of constitutional rights; the following government rewrote much of the legislation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

After 177 migrants were kept aboard the Diciotti for several days, a ministerial tribunal requested authorisation to prosecute Salvini for aggravated unlawful detention. The Senate refused authorisation in March 2019.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Salvini promoted a second security decree strengthening powers against humanitarian vessels and allowing penalties of up to one million euros for certain breaches of entry bans.

Attribution

Political responsibility

Salvini refused the humanitarian vessel Aquarius access to an Italian port while it carried 629 rescued people. After several days of crisis, Spain eventually agreed to receive the ship.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Salvini proposed a census of Roma communities, particularly to identify irregular foreign residents, and stated that Italian Roma would 'unfortunately have to be kept', triggering widespread outrage.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated