Rome Senate Says Salvini Shouldn’t Stand Trial for Blocking Migrant Ship
- Deputy PM says he acted in national interest in Diciotti case
- Senate votes on immunity with support from Five Star Movement
People wait to disembark from the Italian Coast Guard vessel "Diciotti", following a rescue operation of migrants and refugees at sea, at the port of Pozzallo, Sicily on June 19, 2018
Photographer: Giovanni Isolino/AFP via Getty Images
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Rome’s Senate decided Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini should not have to stand trial over his refusal to allow a migrant ship to dock in Italy last summer, defusing a case that’s divided the populist coalition.
The results of the vote were widely expected after Five Star supporters backed immunity from prosecution for him in an online party vote last month. A televised preliminary count showed a large majority in the Senate in favor of blocking the trial. Final results will be made public later in the evening.