Al Jazeera | 20.03.2018
Vessel refused to hand refugees to Libyan coastguard and docked in Italy, where officials opened probe against crew.
by Ylenia Gostoli
Rome, Italy – Human rights groups have warned of a campaign of intimidation after Italian authorities seized a Spanish rescue ship and threatened criminal charges against some of its crew members who refused to hand over rescued refugees and migrants to the Libyan coastguard.
The NGO Proactiva Open Arms said its vessel responded to boats in distress in international waters off the coast of Libya on March 15.
The vessel took the 216 rescued refugees and migrants to the Sicilian port of Pozzallo port on March 17, where the ship was seized.
Complications in the operation began when the NGO attended to the second boat in distress.