Criminal Complaint regarding the destruction of the Iuventa

On 12 February 2023, members of the Iuventa crew filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor's Office in Trapani, requesting an investigation into the abandonment, deterioration, and partial destruction of the rescue vessel Iuventa while it was under state custody.

Before its seizure in August 2017, the Iuventa was an important part of the civil rescue fleet operating in the Central Mediterranean and assisted more than 23,000 people in distress at sea. After nearly five years in the custody of the authorities, technical inspections carried out in 2022 found the vessel in a severely deteriorated condition. According to expert reports, the ship had received no adequate maintenance, essential components were no longer functional, and some equipment had allegedly been stolen.

The complaint argues that the authorities responsible for the vessel's custody failed to protect and maintain it despite repeated warnings about its deteriorating condition and reports of unauthorised access, theft, and vandalism. In December 2022, the investigating judge in Trapani ordered repair and restoration measures for the vessel.

Nicola Canestrini, iuventa lawyer: “Negligence in custody is a crime under Italian law. We expect a thorough investigation which will assess if and who violated their duty to maintain the perfect functionality of the seized sea rescue vessel, which was completely abandoned.”.

Sascha Girke, iuventa-crew:“The Italian state has not only reduced the capacity of the civil fleet by seizing the iuventa, but has abandoned the ship and contributed to the destruction of an asset that could have saved lives. In a context where the Italian government and state policies are obsessed with hindering the operations of the civil fleet, directly and indirectly violating the fundamental rights of people on the move, including the right to life, we consider the confiscation of rescue assets and their destruction as part of the same strategy.”

Dariush Beigui, iuventa-crew: “We will make visible and hold accountable those who destroy rescue assets that are urgently needed at Europe’s borders, preventing the saving of thousands of lives. This is the aim of our joint action, in which we stand together as civil society actors!”

Kathrin Schmidt, iuventa-crew: “The seizure of our ship was not about preventing any criminal offenses. The aim was to restrict basic human rights, such as the right to life and physical integrity, of people on the move. The subsequent abandonment and destruction of the rescue ship confirms the will of the Italian authorities to undermine the rescue capacity of the civil fleet.”

On 23 November 2023, twelve organisations from the civil rescue fleet joined the initiative by filing a joint criminal complaint. The organisations argued that the destruction of rescue assets affects not only the Iuventa but also the broader capacity of civil search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

The case has become a symbol of wider debates about the criminalisation of civil sea rescue, the seizure and detention of NGO vessels, and the accountability of state authorities for the treatment of humanitarian rescue assets. Since the seizure of the Iuventa in 2017, thousands of people have died while attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean, while rescue organisations have faced increasing legal and administrative restrictions on their operations.

The support of Sea Watch, borderline-europe, SOS Humanity, Mediterranea, Louise Michel, United4Rescue, Mission Lifeline, Mare-GO, Sea Punks, Alarm Phone, R42-sailtraining UG and ResQ was a strong sign of solidarity within the civil fleet.