Latest information: 

Our rescue ship Humanity 1 has been detained for 60 days after rescuing 33 people in distress at sea. It also faces a fine of €10,000.

Since December 2025, this is the third case of a Justice Fleet alliance ship to be penalised for ceasing communication with the Libyan maritime authorities. They are responsible for serious human rights violations against those seeking protection and are not legitimate actors in search and rescue. We will defend ourselves in court.

The Humanity 1 is prevent from leaving port towards the area of operation after the Italian authorities issued a provisional detention order to investigate whether Humanity 1 has violated the Piantedosi-law for not having communicated the Libyan Rescue Coordination Centre.

The crew of Humanity 1 operated at all times in accordance with international maritime law, informing the competent search and rescue authorities and following its obligation to assist people in distress. As part of the largest alliance of search and rescue organisations to this day, the Justice Fleet Alliance, SOS Humanity deliberately suspended operational communication with the Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre because the so-called Libyan Coast Guard cannot be considered a legitimate search and rescue actor, as was this year confirmed by the Italian Court of Catanzaro. The provisional detention order was issued by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the Guardia di Finanza and the Ministry of Transport. Humanity 1 is not allowed to leave port until the Prefect has investigated the allegations.

Two days after the rescue, all 33 survivors were able to disembark in Trapani, Italy, today.

After the first and second rescues, the crew spotted two bodies in the water through binoculars, which could not be recovered and taken on board the Humanity 1 due to their advanced state of decomposition.

Notification of distress case: Spotted by Seabird reconnaissance aircraft and reported to the crew of Humanity 
Location: Libyan search and rescue region
Condition of the boat: Unseaworthy black rubber boat without life jackets or live-saving equipment
Number of survivors: 21
Medical condition: Severely hypothermic and exhausted
Newly assigned place of safety: Trapani
Weather conditions: moderate weather, 1m swell 

Chronology and Communication with authorities 

11:21 CET Whilst in position 34°16,1’N 012°25,5’E, MV Humanity 1 receives an email from the reconnaissance aircraft Seabird 1 informing about a black rubber boat in distress, in position 34° 00 N 12°20 E with approximately 20 people on board. 

12:09 CET In position 34°16,1‘N  012°25,5’E MV Humanity 1 sends an email to MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta and MRCC Bremen inquiring about any search and rescue operation launched on the open distress case and recalling MV Humanity 1’s obligation and capacity to render assistance.  

12:27 CET MV Humanity 1 receives an email from MRCC Rome requesting MV Humanity 1 to inform the Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Tripoli) about the distress case.  

12:28 CET MV Humanity 1 calls MRCC Rome via phone to inform about his intention to proceed to the distress case and provide assistance. MRCC Rome acknowledges that MV Humanity 1 is proceeding to the distress case. 

12:56 CET MV Humanity spots a patrol boat from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard (LCG) from the lookout. 

13:05 CET MV Humanity 1 calls the so-called LCG via radio (VHF) inquiring about the distress case approximately 3 nautical miles away.   

13:12 CET MV Humanity 1 arrives on scene in position 34° 09.4’ N 012° 22.8’ E. 

13:12 CET MV Humanity 1 calls the so-called LCG via VHF again, stating that the distress case is 1 nautical mile away and MV Humanity needs to provide assistance. The so-called Libyan Coast Guard acknowledges MV Humanity proceeding with the rescue. 

13:18 CET Fast rescue boat (RHIB) is in the water to assess the situation. 

13:19 CET MV Humanity 1 receives the first assessment from RHIB, confirming the distress case as unseaworthy, overcrowded, lacking life-saving equipment and life jackets. 

13:21 CET The RHIB team starts to embark people from the distress case. 

13:23 CET The RHIB team reports that one person is unconscious. 

13:25 CET The unconscious person is safely brought on board MV Humanity 1. 

13:27 CET All 21 people have safely been brought on board MV Humanity 1. 

13:33 CET MV Humanity 1 recovered RHIBs on board. 

13:46 CET MV Humanity 1 sends an email to MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta and MRCC Bremen about the arrival on scene, confirming the distress case and having launched the RHIB to assess the situation. 

[MV Humanity 1 spots a floating corpse in the water. Due to the advanced state of decomposition MV Humanity 1 is not able to recover the corpse] 

14:14 CET MRCC Rome sends an email to MV Humanity 1 requesting that JRCC Tripolis be informed of the distress case. 

15:04 CET MV Humanity 1 sends an email to MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta, and MRCC Bremen, informing about the completion of the rescue operation and that MV Humanity 1 is now proceeding to the assigned Place of Safety Napoli with a total of 33 survivors on board.

Notification of distress case: Discovered by crew using binoculars
Location: Libyan search and rescue region
Condition of boat: Unseaworthy wooden boat without sufficient life jackets or rescue equipment
Number of survivors: 12
Medical condition: Exhausted
Rescue details: Four masked individuals refused to be assisted and left the scene.
Assigned place of safety: Naples
Weather conditions: moderate weather, 1m swell

Chronology and Communication with authorities 

02:45 CET Motor vessel (MV) Humanity 1 in position 33° 49.32‘N 012°16.28’E spots a grey, overcrowded wooden boat in distress during lookout, which is approaching Humanity 1.  

03:01 CET MV Humanity 1 launches RHIB (fast rescue boat) to assess the situation. 

03:05 CET MV Humanity 1 receives the first assessment from the fast rescue boat (RHIB), confirming the distress case as unseaworthy and that it lacks life-saving equipment.  

03:06 CET Lifejacket distribution starts.  

03:07 CET The first person from the distress case embarks on the RHIB. 

03:08 CET 12 Persons embarked from the distress case to the RHIB. Four masked people refuse assistance, stay on the boat, and leave the scene. 

03:19 CET All 12 survivors are safely recovered on board MV Humanity 1. 

03:30 CET Humanity 1 sends an email to the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Rome), the Maltese Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Malta) and the German flag state (MRCC Bremen) informing them about spotting the distress case from the bridge and the intention to provide assistance. 

03:31 CET In position 33° 47.16’N 012° 17.42’E MV Humanity 1 recovered both RHIBs on board. 

03:55 CET MV Humanity 1 receives an email from MRCC Rome requesting MV Humanity 1 to inform the Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Tripoli) about the distress case.  

03:56 CET MV Humanity 1 informs MRCC Rome, JRCC Malta and MRCC Bremen via e-mail about the completion of the rescue operation and requests a place of safety for the 12 survivors.  

04:19 CET MV Humanity 1 sends an email to MRCC Rome and MRCC Bremen answering to MRCC Romes request to inform JRCC Tripolis. MV Humanity 1 is bound by the full scope of international regulations governing search and rescue operations. In light of Libya not constituting a Place of Safety for people rescued from distress at sea to be disembarked and the JRCC Tripolis not being a competent authority to coordinate search and rescue operations in line with international standards, MV Humanity 1 cannot engage in any operational coordination with the Libyan authorities, nor can we facilitate or consent to the disembarkation or transfer of rescued persons to Libyan ports. Such actions would directly contravene MV Humanity 1’s legal obligations according to international law. Furthermore, as the LY JRCC coordinates the so-called Libyan Coast Guard who is responsible for shooting at people in distress and humanitarian ships at sea, coordinating with the LY JRCC poses a security threat to MV Humanity 1. 

Our rescue ship Humanity 1 has left the port in Sicily and is on its way to the mission area. It is expected to arrive there on January 28, 2026.

After Humanity 1 was anchored due to bad weather, it is now moored again in the Italian port of Syracuse. The new crew is training for the upcoming mission.