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Rescue mission in the Mediterranean (archive image)
Photo: David Lohmueller / dpa
Italy regularly arrests the ships of organizations that operate in the Mediterranean to rescue migrants in distress.
It was not until Tuesday that the German-flagged "Sea Watch 4" was released again by the authorities in Sicily after months of detention.
Italy is now taking legal action against the crews of other ships.
As reported by the »Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung« among others, ten German crew members of the »Iuventa« face sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment after being charged by the public prosecutor's office in the Sicilian port city of Trapani.
They are accused of smuggling and aiding and abetting illegal entry.
According to the Guardian, the indictment was preceded by almost four years of investigation.
Accordingly, crew members of two ships of the aid organizations "Save the Children" and "Doctors Without Borders" are also charged.
In total, allegations were made against 21 people, including captains, mission leaders and legal representatives.
Aid organizations deny allegations
Specifically, it will be about deployments in 2016 and 2017.
According to »FAZ«, the rescuers are accused of having communicated with smugglers via light signals and taking migrants directly on board.
A lawyer from the Iuventa crew rejected the allegations against the Guardian.
"Saving lives is never a crime," Francesva Cancellaro was quoted as saying.
"We will prove that the missions of the> Iuventa <were absolutely legal." "Save the Children" and "Doctors Without Borders" rejected the allegations.
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