SOS Humanity criticises the rejection of its appeal by the Court of Crotone on 13 February 2025 regarding what the organisation views as the illegitimate detention of its rescue ship, Humanity 1, in December 2023. The judge claimed that the appeal against the detention was inadmissible and presupposed that the so-called Libyan Coast Guard’s interception of people fleeing from Libya was legitimate. However, this stands in stark contradiction to previous court decisions as well as evidence of crimes against humanity against migrants and refugees in Libya committed by the same Libyan actors presented by the United Nations. SOS Humanity is thus going to appeal the decision and already filed an intervention at the constitutional court in Italy in October 2024. 

“The detention of non-governmental rescue ships by the Italian authorities constitutes a serious violation of European and international law, highlighted by the fact that the legal basis for this practice is currently challenged at the Constitutional Court in Rome”, states Cristina Laura Cecchini, the Italian lawyer representing SOS Humanity at the Crotone Court.  

“The decision presented by the judge in Crotone contains a number of implausible arguments, failing to take into account the evidence presented by SOS Humanity. The judge considers the appeal inadmissible and thereby appears to seriously violate the right to defence as it would leave no legal remedy against an illegitimately imposed sanction. This decision contradicts numerous decisions that have already been issued throughout Italy. Furthermore, the judge fails to acknowledge a significant fact that several court rulings and international institutions have highlighted: that the so-called Libyan Coast Guard cannot be considered a legitimate search and rescue actor. Thus, SOS Humanity will appeal against this decision.”