Headlines
Italy's top court upholds acquittal of Salvini in migrant kidnapping case
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 17, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Quick Summary
Italy's Supreme Court upheld Matteo Salvini's acquittal in a migrant kidnapping case, confirming his actions were lawful and ending further legal challenges.
Italy's Supreme Court Confirms Salvini's Acquittal in Migrant Case
By Marco Roberti
ROME, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Italy's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld an acquittal verdict for Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a migrant kidnapping case, meaning no further appeals can be brought against the decision.
Salvini, a key ally of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and leader of the far-right League party, had been acquitted last year by a court in Palermo, Sicily, after a trial that culminated in a request to hand him a six-year jail term.
"Defending borders is not a crime," Salvini -- who is now serving as transport minister -- wrote on his account on social media platform X after learning of the Supreme Court verdict.
His words were echoed by Meloni, who has been in power since 2022 at the head of a coalition government.
"Matteo Salvini's final acquittal ... is good news and confirms a simple and fundamental principle: a minister who defends Italy's borders is not committing a crime, but doing his duty," the prime minister wrote on Facebook.
Salvini had been charged after he ordered a boat carrying over 100 migrants to be kept out at sea for nearly three weeks when he was interior minister in 2019, an act that prosecutors said amounted to kidnapping the people on board.
CHARITY CONDEMNS DECISION
Magistrates eventually seized the boat, operated by Spanish charity Open Arms, and ordered the migrants be brought ashore. The case drew international attention, as it was part of Salvini's policy to close ports to migrants to curb illegal arrivals.
Oscar Camps, the founder of Open Arms, condemned what he called a 'political decision'.
"Justice has not been done today either, but impunity has been created," Camps was quoted as saying by Italian media.
In an unusual move, Palermo prosecutors in July bypassed the appeals court and went straight to the Supreme Court to challenge the first-instance verdict.
They maintained Salvini's conduct had been established despite the acquittal and urged the supreme judges -- whose decisions provide interpretation of the law -- to assess whether these actions constituted a crime.
"The term 'satisfaction' does not fully express how I feel. The ruling highlighted that the prosecutor's appeal was unrealistic and, more importantly, it stressed the correctness of Salvini's actions," said Salvini's lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno.
"All this confirms that this trial should never have started," added Bongiorno, who is also a senator for Salvini's League party.
(Additional reporting and writing by Angelo AmanteEditing by Keith Weir)
Key Takeaways
- •Italy's Supreme Court upheld Salvini's acquittal.
- •Salvini was accused of kidnapping migrants in 2019.
- •The case involved a boat operated by Open Arms charity.
- •Salvini's actions were deemed lawful by the court.
- •The verdict ends legal proceedings against Salvini.
Frequently Asked Questions about Italy's top court upholds acquittal of Salvini in migrant kidnapping case
1What is kidnapping?
Kidnapping is the unlawful act of taking and carrying away a person by force or fraud. It is a serious crime that can involve various motives, including ransom or coercion.
2What is a Supreme Court?
A Supreme Court is the highest court in a country or state, which has the ultimate authority to interpret the law and adjudicate legal disputes.
3What is a verdict?
A verdict is a formal decision made by a jury or judge on the matters or questions submitted to them in a court case.
4What is a trial?
A trial is a legal proceeding in which evidence is presented to determine the guilt or innocence of a defendant in a criminal case or to resolve disputes in civil cases.
