The investigative court in Catania, Sicily, will not bring the so-called Gregoretti case to trial, as it does not consider the indictment against former interior minister Matteo Salvini for the detention of a group of migrants to be well-founded, Salvini's party, the League, said on Friday. Fidesz member of the European Parliament (EP) Balázs Hidvéghi called the failure of the trial a triumph of common sense.

According to news agency reports, Judge Nunzio Sarpietro, who led the preliminary court proceedings that began on October 3, read out his decision, according to which there is no reason to continue the proceedings against Matteo Salvini.

With this, the court accepted the position of the politician's defense, according to which, as Minister of the Interior, Salvini did not commit a crime by not allowing the landing of immigrants who arrived on the Gregoretti military ship for five days in 2019. In the case, the prosecutor's office did not push for prosecution either.

Hidvéghi: the failure of the trial against Salvini is a triumph of common sense

On Friday, the Fidesz politician highlighted on his Facebook page: the president of the most popular Italian party had to appear in court because, as interior minister, he did not allow a group of migrants arriving by boat to disembark. "It shows the state of mind of Western Europe that civil organizations dragged him to court, and not the people smugglers who are constantly transporting migrants to Europe," he noted.

The court has now ruled that it will not press charges in this case, wrote Balázs Hidvéghi. He added: "However, Salvini cannot sit back, unfortunately. His brave stance made him the target of all pro-immigration NGOs". In another similar case, the proceedings against him have already started, and he must appear in court in September.

"And we, who would like our children to live in a European Europe, can worry about what the end of the procedure will be. Come on Salvini!" Balázs Hidvéghi said on his Facebook page.

MTI / 2022plus

Photo: MTI/AP/Andrew Medichini