Rome - Italian prosecutors on Friday told Interior Minister and
Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini that he is under investigation for
"kidnapping" a group of migrants.
The case concerns about 150 migrants who last month were rescued and
taken to a Sicilian port by the Italian coastguard, but were denied
disembarkation rights for several days by Salvini.
Salvini theatrically opened a letter with an official notice from
Palermo Chief Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi in a live Facebook video.
The minister claimed he risked "at least 15 years in prison" and said
he was ready to be interrogated, but promised his social media
followers he would "not give an inch."
Previously, Italian media reported that Salvini was also being probed
for illegal arrest and abuse of power, but he was not notified of any
such charges.
Despite being under investigation, there is little chance of the
leader of the far-right League facing a trial, as he enjoys
parliamentary immunity, which is unlikely to be lifted by
pro-government parties.
Meanwhile, a majority of the migrants aboard the Diciotti ship, who
were eventually allowed to disembark on August 25 and were taken to
reception centres in Sicily and near Rome, have gone missing.
According to Salvini, this proves they were not genuine refugees.
Others have pointed out that the migrants had no legal obligation to
stay in a fixed place.