Criminal proceedings against the crew members of the NGOs Jugend Rettet, Save the Children, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) ended after seven years Friday with acquittals for the 10 defendants. The humanitarian organizations were accused by prosecutors in Trapani of having made agreements with human traffickers.
They allegedly transferred refugees from Libyan ships to which they allegedly then also allowed them to return undisturbed. "The truth has been recognized," said Save the Children. MSF said "we have got through seven years of defamatory slogans and false charges." The case is known as the 'Iuventa' case, after one of the rescue ships involved, a Jug End Rettets vessel. The trial is expected to last at least another two months, with the verdicts expected to be announced in the next few days.