For 16 days the Search and Rescue ship, Sea Watch 3, was stuck in the Mediterranean, during a heat wave, after rescuing 53 migrants drifting on an inflatable raft off the coast of Libya.
The captain of the rescue ship, Carola Rackete, was unjustly arrested by the Italian authorities after having forced the ship into Italian waters to bring the migrants to safety.
She might now face up to 5 years in prison, accused of "facilitating illegal immigration" and a fine of 15.000 euros for each person rescued.
This is just another example of how our right to help people is being criminalised as Europeans and civil society organizations are being arrested, fined and intimidated all across Europe for simply offering humanitarian assistance to people fleeing persecution.
Just three days ago two ships - Alan Kurdi and Alex - on rescuing missions found themselves in clashes with EU member states to get a safe haven. This cannot be part of the "European values" that are spoken so highly of.
On Tuesday 16 July, a new EU Commission president will be voted by the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). This is a crucial moment for real change in Europe.
As European citizens we demand our elected MEPs to vote against a Commission President who is not committed to re-establish a new European Sea search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea.
In particular, we call on the new Commission President to commit to:
Victory for humanity!
The Supreme Court of Italy has concluded that “Carola Rackete acted correctly following the provisions on rescue at sea because the obligation to provide rescue does not end in the act of rescuing the shipwrecked persons from the danger of losing their lives at sea, but it entails the consequent and additional obligation to disembark them in a safe place".