A Dramatic Turn In The Sea-Watch Controversy

The captain of the in Italy detained rescue ship "Sea-Watch 3" is free. Now the reasoning of the court is available. The statement contains political explosives. Racket herself shows touching.

German "Sea-Watch 3" captain Carola Rackete has been "relieved" about her release ordered by the Italian judiciary. In a statement, the 31-year-old said on Tuesday evening of a "great victory for solidarity" with all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. It was also a victory "against the Criminalization" of helpers in many European countries.

Rackete was "touched" by the solidarity she had experienced. At the same time, she praised the commitment of the entire crew: "Although attention is focused on me, as a team we have saved people, cared for them and brought them to safety."

A court in Sicily had lifted the house arrest imposed on the German sea watch captain Carola Rackete. The reason reads like an acquittal across the board.

How the Judge came to the decision

According to Sea-Watch, the investigating judge argued that the captain acted "in fulfillment of a duty" and had no choice but to bring the refugees to Italy. Moreover, a controversial security decree by the Italian Government forbidding certain vessels to sail into Italian territorial waters should not be applied to rescue operations.

Finally, the police ship, which had encountered the "Sea-Watch 3" in the port of the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, could not be considered a warship. The judiciary had accused the captain resistance to a warship, which is up to ten years imprisonment. Public prosecutor Luigi Patronaggio announced on Tuesday to consider possible legal action against the decision of the investigating judge.

Rackete is accused in a separate procedure accused of aiding illegal immigration. It will be discussed at another hearing on July 9th.

Salvini rants on Twitter

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said he had hoped for a tougher reaction from the Italian judiciary. He'll show racket as soon as possible. "This poor woman was just trying to kill five Italian soldiers," said the politician of the xenophobic Lega party in a Facebook video. "I'm speechless, what do you have to do to get jailed in Italy?"

In the short message service Twitter wrote Salvini: "She will return to (her) Germany, where they would not be so tolerant with an Italian, if they would have put the lives of German police in danger."

Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) welcomed Rackete's release and was "relieved". "I hope that the allegations will now be resolved quickly," Maas wrote on Twitter. "The case makes it clear again...we finally need a solution for the distribution of refugees, in which all EU states make their contribution"

The captain had apologized in court on Monday for ramming a patrol boat on entering the harbor. It was an accident. She was only concerned with the well being of people who had spent more than two weeks at sea. The prosecutor's office of Sicily had initiated investigations on suspicion of supporting traffickers against Carola Rackete. Italy only lets ships with refugees if there are European countries that accept them.

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg - Germany)