THREE refugee rescue organisations have announced that they are to take legal action against the Italian authorities for the “unlawful detention” of their rescue ships.
SOS Humanity, Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye released a joint statement this afternoon blasting the authorities’ reasoning for keeping their ships in port for a total of 100 days.
The Humanity 1 and Sea-Watch 5 cannot leave port for 20 days each, while the Sea-Eye 4 is being held for 60 days.
The crews of the three ships rescued a total of 390 people in the central Mediterranean last week, and the authorities allege their crews were uncooperative with the Libyan coastguard.
“Each of the three current detentions is based on false accusations and unlawful demands,” reads the organisations’ joint statement.
“The Italian authorities falsely refer to uncooperative behaviour by the ships’ crews towards the so-called Libyan coastguard.
“Yet all detentions were preceded by attempts by the so-called Libyan coastguard to force people in distress at sea back to Libya in violation of international law.
“In two cases — Humanity 1 and Sea-Eye 4 — the crews were threatened [by the Libyan coastguards] with weapons. A 17-year-old boy died on board the Sea-Watch 5 after all coastal states refused a medical evacuation.”
Italy’s top court ruled last month that returning people rescued at sea to Libya is illegal, and thereby, the rescuers contend, cooperating with the Libyan coastguard is also unlawful.
Sea-Watch spokeswoman Giulia Messmer said: “100 days of detention are 100 of injustice.
“While Italy is escalating its obstruction of civil sea rescue in violation of international law, over 270 people have already drowned in the Mediterranean this year alone.”
SOS Humanity political spokeswoman Marie Michel said the systematic obstruction of civil rescue ships must be stopped immediately.
“It is a scandal that the crews of NGO rescue ships in the central Mediterranean are being threatened by the European-funded so-called Libyan coastguard and then, after bringing survivors safely ashore, detained in Italian harbours on the basis of illegitimate and absurd accusations,” she said.
Meanwhile, SOS Mediterranee‘s rescue ship, the Ocean Viking, saved the lives of 25 people from a drifting rubber boat today in Libya’s search-and-rescue zone.
“A medical mass casualty plan had to be initiated, to care for the survivors found in extreme vulnerable physical and mental health,” SOS Mediterranean said on social media today.
“According to first testimonies, the boat spent approximately a week lost at sea. Survivors recount that many people perished and are now missing.
“All survivors are under medical care, and an urgent medical evacuation has been requested for two persons found unconscious and in critical condition.”
Elsewhere, the Open Arms rescue ship is making its way to Gaza, on a mission to deliver 200 tonnes of food to the Palestinian people caught up in Israel’s genocidal bombing campaign.
“Open Arms is always next to people in vulnerable situations, wherever they are and wherever they come from,” the organisation said this morning.
“Yesterday, our ship loaded with 200 tons of humanitarian aid left the Cypriot port of Larnaca bound for Gaza.
“This initiative marks the beginning of the first maritime humanitarian corridor to the Strip, a very complex mission in joint operation with [World Central Kitchen].
“We know that it is not enough and that the situation for the civilian population of Gaza is so desperate that the UN has not hesitated to describe it as an ‘unprecedented world’ disaster.
“For this reason, we trust that this channel will expand, and that other organisations can join to facilitate the stable entry of humanitarian aid and thus alleviate the emergency situation experienced by men, women, girls and boys in Gaza.”
Top image shows Sea-Watch activists and crew aboard the Sea-Watch 5 demanding its release from detention [Pic: Sea-Watch]
The Civil Fleet 