Italian Captain Given Jail Term For Handing Migrants To Libya

A ship's captain who rescued a group of 101 migrants from the Mediterranean sea before handing them over to the Libyan coastguard was given a one-year jail term on Friday, in the first such case heard by Italy's courts

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2021 ) :A ship's captain who rescued a group of 101 migrants from the Mediterranean sea before handing them over to the Libyan coastguard was given a one-year jail term on Friday, in the first such case heard by Italy's courts.

Giuseppe Sotgiu was convicted of violating international laws that forbid the forced return of people to countries where they are at risk, according to a copy of the ruling dated October 13, seen by AFP on Friday.

Rights groups hailed the judgment, with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) calling it "an important first step" and urging a radical change in Italian and European policies to stop forced returns.

But some experts were surprised at the verdict, first reported in the Avvenire newspaper on Thursday, as Italy and the EU have financed and trained Libya's coastguard specifically to help halt the flow of migrants -- a deal severely criticised by activists.

Libya is not considered a port of safety under international law and earlier this week the UN Refugee Agency said it was "extremely worried" about continued suffering faced by migrants there.