Press Release
21st of March 2018
London. Human Rights at Sea is closely watching the ongoing situation in the central Mediterranean route following the seizure of the NGO Proactiva Open Arms vessel and crew by the Italian authorities in Sicilia during a search and rescue operation. During the operation, the NGO vessel refused to hand the migrants to the Libyan coastguard authorities fearing their further detention and abuse and disembarked them to Sicily.
@Proactiva Open Arms
HRAS remains deeply concerned with the latest developments and the arrest of the vessel and crew and with the general criminalisation of search and rescue operations in Europe.
Jugend Rettet organisation in a Press Statement draws parallels between the seizure of Proactiva and the seizure of their own SAR vessel IUVENTA in 2017.
Download the Jugend Rettet Press Statement here
ENDS.