The court case has been going on for several years. Salvini, who was Deputy Prime Minister in 2019, was accused of forcing 147 migrants to stay out at sea. The migrant ship, operated by the organization Open Arms, applied to dock at an Italian port.
Salvini leads the Lega party and has previously also been Interior Minister. Now, he is Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister in Italy's far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni. He has denied the allegations.
I have fought against mass immigration and whatever the verdict may be, this is a beautiful day because I am proud to have defended my country, said the xenophobic Salvini earlier.
The ship in question was able to dock on the island of Lampedusa after weeks at sea, following an Italian court decision.
