Italian minister faces kidnap charges after immigrants held at sea

  • 27/08/2018
Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini is facing a number of charges.
Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini is facing a number of charges. Photo credit: Twitter/ Matteo Salvini

An Italian minister faces kidnap charges after a group of immigrants were illegally held at sea off the coast of Italy for ten days.

More than 100 migrants were kept on the Italian coast guard ship Diciotti after they were rescued off the coast of Libya on August 16.

Italy's government refused to let them disembark from the ship, allowing only the sickest and youngest to be let off.

When they were let off the ship on Sunday, a dozen were hospitalised with symptoms of pneumonia, tuberculosis, and scabies according, to The Telegraph.

Port medics said that 11 women on board had been victims of sexual violence.

Stefano Vella, the head of Italy's Medical Agency, has resigned in protest saying he could "no longer lead a public health body at a time when people are treated this way on our territory".

Interior minister Matteo Salvini and another high ranking member of the Italian government are now being investigated by prosecutors for potential "illegal arrest, illegal confinement and abuse of office", reports The Telegraph.

Mr Salvini is downplaying the threat, saying that Italians support him.

"They can arrest me, but not the wishes of 60 million Italians," he said. "It's incredible to live in a country where 10 days ago a bridge collapsed killing 43 people and still no one has been placed under inquiry, while they investigate a minister protecting the security of this country."

Newshub.