Italian prosecutors in the city of Palermo requested a six-year prison sentence on Saturday for Matteo Salvini, the country’s deputy prime minister and leader of the League party, who is accused of kidnapping migrants and abuse of office.

In 2019, then-Minister of the Interior Salvini prevented a vessel of the Spanish NGO Open Arms carrying 147 migrants from docking in Lampedusa, Italy. According to Open Arms, the situation on board was unsustainable, with threats of suicide and attempts at violence. In 2020, the Italian Senate voted to lift Salvini’s parliamentary immunity. The trial has been ongoing since April 2021.

Salvini posted a video on Saturday, asserting that defending Italy is not a crime. He cited Article 52 of the Constitution of Italy, which stipulates that the defense of the Country is the sacred duty of every citizen. In support of Salvini, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed on social media that criminalizing the protection of Italian borders from illegal immigration sets a grave precedent. Additionally, Matteo Piantedosi, Minister of the Interior, stated that the risk of a six-year prison sentence for fulfilling the duty to fight against illegal immigration is an injustice for Salvini. Bongiorno accused the prosecutor of proceeding with an argument against the Security Decree Bis and contesting the government’s political line.

In response, Prosecutor Gery Ferrara emphasized that the trial was a legal matter, not a political one. Furthermore, the leader of the country’s Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, criticized the intervention of the Prime Minister, calling it highly inappropriate. She emphasized that the executive and judicial branches should remain separate and autonomous.

The defense’s argument is slated to be delivered by lawyer Giulia Bongiorno on October 18.