Overview
- Prosecutors in Brindisi opened a criminal investigation Saturday accusing the Sea-Watch 5 captain of aiding illegal entry, according to the NGO.
- The rescue ship, which docked in Brindisi Friday with 166 people on board, was searched for hours as officers seized documents and equipment and took two crew members for police interviews.
- During a rescue in international waters Monday, a Libyan patrol reportedly fired multiple shots, threatened to board the vessel, and sought to tow it back to Libya after 90 people were taken aboard.
- Sea-Watch called the case an absurd escalation and said it would not be intimidated after the at-sea attack and the overnight search in port.
- Italy has brought similar cases before that were later dismissed, including the 2019 probe of captain Carola Rackete and the Iuventa crew case ended in 2024.