ITALIAN authorities have ordered a Spanish charity boat to be released a month after it was seized off a Sicilian port and its crew accused of 'assisting illegal immigration'.
The humanitarian organisation Proactiva Open Arms has been stationed in the Mediterranean near southern Italy and Greece to rescue migrants who get into difficulties as they attempt to reach Europe by boat.
Without their work, most of these lives would have been lost.
The boat was captured trying to dock in the port of Pozzallo on March 17, but 10 days later, the prosecution service in Ragusa called for it not to be formally confiscated.
Meanwhile, the craft has been waiting in Pozzallo, unable to leave, pending trial.
Fortunately, none of the charity members were formally charged or taken into custody, as they would have had a long and bureaucratic ordeal ahead of them trying to secure their release.
Now, the court in Ragusa has ordered the boat to be freed, according to the charity's solicitor, Rosa Emanuela Lo Faro.
At the time of its capture on the coast of the Italian island, Proactiva Open Arms' boat had 216 migrants on board it had rescued from drowning, but these were allowed to disembark.
Head of the rescue mission Anabel Montes and the ship's captain, Mark Reig, as well as another unidentified member of the charity in a managerial position were placed under investigation.
Proactiva contacted the Spanish foreign office for help, and has been openly backed by the socialists and Podemos – both parties in opposition – who announced their intention to push for the foreign ministry to act on the charity's behalf.
