The requested prison term is for allegedly kidnapping 147 migrants for several days after he stopped from landing at Lampedusa five years ago.
The alleged kidnapping happened as part of his controversial ‘closed ports’ policy for migrant rescue ships.
Salvini said he was only defending Italian borders in keeping the migrants aboard Spanish NGO Open Arms ship as part of his hardline anti-migrant policy.
He was defended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who voiced full solidarity with her colleague, who is now deputy PM and transport minister.
Meloni said the sentence request “sets a dangerous precedent” and that defending Italy’s borders was “not a crime”.
But centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein called Meloni’s implicit criticism of the judiciary “inappropriate”.
Magistrates union ANM said Sunday that insinuations that the prosecutor was guilty of practising “political justice” were serious charges and placed unacceptable pressure on Italian judges.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday also came to Salvini’s defence, writing on X that Salvini is “Europe’s most courageous patriot” who was “punished for stopping immigration”.
“What is going on? Matteo Salvini is our hero,” Orban wrote.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó also expressed support for Salvini in a post on Facebook, writing that “the campaign against politicians and governments fighting immigration has gained new momentum”.
Even Elon Musk weighed in on the case Saturday night with the Tesla, SpaceX and X chief saying, “That crazy prosecutor should be the one going to jail for six years, this is crazy.”
ANSA
