Italian Supreme Court Faces Salvini Acquittal Appeal

Prosecutors in Palermo, Italy, have directly appealed to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini regarding a migrant kidnapping case, according to a court document released on Friday.

Salvini, leader of the League party, faced charges after ordering a migrant boat to remain at sea during his tenure as interior minister in 2019, an action prosecutors classified as kidnapping. Although cleared last year with no prison sentence despite a six-year term recommendation, prosecutors now argue that Salvini violated international maritime rescue protocols.

The appeal raises judicial and governmental tensions, as magistrates oppose Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's proposed changes to the connection between prosecutors and judges. Meloni criticized the prosecutors' determination to appeal, calling the move 'surreal' following a comprehensive acquittal of Salvini.

(With inputs from agencies.)