An Italian court has ruled that deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini committed no crime when he refused to allow a Spanish charity ship carrying nearly 150 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea to disembark in Italy six years ago.

A court on Friday acquitted Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of charges of kidnapping over 100 migrants aboard a boat he had blocked at sea for nearly three weeks in 2019, as part of a policy to curb irregular arrivals.

A court in Sicily Friday found Italian Vice Premier Matteo Salvini not guilty of illegally detaining 100 migrants aboard a humanitarian rescue ship iin 2019 when he was interior minister.