Lega boss Salvini faces imprisonment: lawsuit due to tough gait against refugees is in the offing

The Italian Senate abolishes Matteo Salvini's immunity. The former interior minister is now facing a trial. Even a prison sentence seems possible.

• Matteo Salvini (46) was Italian Minister of the Interior from June 2018 to September 2019.
• During this time, the head of the right-wing Lega Nord was tough on refugees .
• He is now facing a trial and maybe even a prison sentence .

Rome - When Matteo Salvini was still Minister of the Interior, he tried to isolate Italy from migrants . Now the Senate is reportedly giving the go-ahead for a possible trial over this policy . The right Lega boss uses the stage for a forward defense.

Clear the way for Salvini trial: Italian Senate abolishes immunity

According to media reports, the Rome Senate has lifted the immunity of the former Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini as a member of the parliamentary chamber . A trial against the head of the right-wing Lega is possible because of his tough anti-refugee policy during his reign. In a vote on Wednesday, a majority of the chamber voted in favor of the repeal, media reported the same. The official result was not expected until the evening (7 p.m.).

Matteo Salvini faces imprisonment: he does not expect it

After the vote, Salvini says: "I defended Italy , I will go to court for that (...) But I have full confidence in the court." He will not be sentenced, added the opposition leader . He defended the borders in the interests of the Italians.

Il mio intervento al Senato, con l'orgoglio di aver agito semper nell'interesse del mio Paese https://t.co/8JG51aBOg0

Italy: Matteo Salvini, as Minister of the Interior, was tough on refugees

The process is said to involve Salvini as minister holding 131 migrants on a Coast Guard ship. The "Gregoretti" was not allowed to call at a port for days in summer 2019. Only after other countries, including Germany, had agreed to accept the people, were the migrants allowed to go ashore.

The public prosecutor in Catania accuses the 46-year-old of freedom. Matteo Salvini is Senator in the smaller of the two Houses of Parliament. He was Minister of the Interior from June 2018 to early September 2019. In a trial, the Lega boss could face a long prison sentence .

Matteo Salvini: lawsuit threatens to block several lifeboats

In March 2019, the Senate voted against the first attempt by the judiciary to have Salvini's immunity lifted because of refugee policy. At that time it was about the ship "Diciotti", which was blocked in 2018. At that time, Salvini was the strong man of a Lega and five-star government. That majority helped him then. In September 2019, a new coalition of the five-star party with the Social Democrats (PD) replaced the old government.

After the vote on Wednesday, the Senate still has to decide on the case of a third blocked lifeboat, the "Open Arms". When possible processes could start was still unclear.