For unlawful detention

Sea Watch, judges demand 76,000 euro compensation from the ministries. Meloni: 'Absurd'

The reply by the president of the Court of Palermo, Piergiorgio Morosini: "Denigrating judges for a measure that they do not agree with or do not like, perhaps without even knowing the reasons for it, has nothing to do with the right to criticise judicial decisions that should be recognised for every citizen"

by Rome Editorial Staff

18 February 2026

epa07682745 A handout photo made available by Sea-Watch shows Sea Watch 3 captain Carola Rackete (C) being arrested after entering the port of Lampedusa and ramming a patrol boat, in Lampedusa, Italy, 29 June 2019. According to reports, the captain Carola Rackete was arrested after violating orders from the Finance Police and entering the port of Lampedusa while ramming a patrol boat. EPA/SELENE MAGNOLIA/SEA-WATCH HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A compensation of over 76,000 euros to compensate the Sea Watch 3 ship. This is the figure established by a ruling of the court of Palermo, according to which Viminale, the Ministries of Transport and Economy, and the Prefecture of Agrigento will have to pay the NGO the sum regarding the expenses documented by the organisation itself plus legal ones.

The episode and the compensation

The episode refers to the case linked to the then commander of the German ship Carola Rackete who, on 29 June 2019, forced the naval blockade of Lampedusa, also ramming a Guardia di finanza patrol boat during manoeuvres, in order to land 42 migrants on the island, rescued in the Libyan Sar area.

The compensation, on the other hand, concerns the pecuniary damages suffered by the vessel Sea Watch 3 as a result of the administrative detention that took place from 12 July to 19 December 2019, in Lampedusa.

Silence for Termination of Seizure

Following the detention, Sea Watch had lodged an opposition with the prefect of Agrigento on 21 September. However, no response had been received from the prefect and this, according to the law applicable in similar cases, would have entailed silence, i.e. the automatic termination of the seizure. Despite this, the ship had remained blocked until, after an emergency appeal, the court of Palermo, on 19 December, ordered its return.

After the events, Commander Rackete had been arrested for resisting a warship, failure to comply with an order to stop and aggravated aiding and abetting irregular immigration, risking up to 15 years in prison. Subsequently, in 2021, the gip of Agrigento ordered, accepting the request made by the public prosecutor, the archiving of the criminal proceedings against the German activist.

Meloni and Salvini 'speechless'

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responds with a video on social media, saying that 'not only was the Rackete acquitted at the time because, according to some magistrates, it is permissible to force a police blockade in the name of mass illegal immigration', but also 'the judges took another decision that literally leaves one speechless: they condemned the Italian state to compensate the NGO owner of the ship captained by the Rackete with 76,000 euro, also by the Italians, because after the ramming against our military personnel the boat had been, rightly, detained and placed under seizure'.

Vice-Premier Matteo Salvini speaks of an 'incredible decision, a real prize for having forced a government ban' on the NGO 'of Carola Rackete, the German activist who when I was at the Viminale did not accept the line of closed ports that had practically zeroed landings and tragedies at sea. On 22-23 March I will vote YES in the referendum to change this in(Justice) that does not work'.

Court of Palermo: 'Denigrating is not the right to criticism'

"The ruling of the Court of Palermo," replied the President of the Court of Palermo Piergiorgio Morosini, "was issued by a competent and well-prepared magistrate, after the examination of the evidentiary material and the cross-examination of the parties. Like any decision, it is appealable. Denigrating judges for a decision they do not agree with or do not like, perhaps without even knowing the reasons for it, has nothing to do with that right to criticise judicial decisions that should be recognised for every citizen'.

Sea Watch: 'Government sees NGO as enemy instead of preventing tragedy'

An episode that, according to Sea Watch spokesperson Giorgia Linardi, "demonstrates once again that civil disobedience is anything but arrogance, but the protection of international law from attacks by those who abuse their position of power to trample it underfoot, to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of all. While the corpses of the invisible victims of the last few weeks resurface on Italian beaches, the government, instead of working to prevent future tragedies, once again identifies the NGOs as the enemy to be put down'.

To our reaction,' he adds, 'Fratelli d'Italia responded with the intimidation: 'enough with the arrogance of certain ngos'. Yet what they call arrogance has been recognised by the competent courts'.