Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has been acquitted of kidnapping charges related to blocking a migrant rescue boat in 2019. The court rejected the prosecutor’s call for a six-year prison term after a three-year trial. Salvini, leader of the League party, faced criticism for his hardline migration stance during his time as interior minister.<br /><br />The verdict comes amid heightened tensions between Italy’s government and judiciary over migration policies, including a controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Albania, now under review by the European Court of Justice.<br /><br />League party members applauded the decision, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the allegations as “unfounded and surreal.”<br /><br />#italynews #migrationpolicy #matteosalvini #salvini #italy
