“No case to proceed and return ship to rightful claimants”. The breakthrough to the largest, most expensive and complex court case against members of the civilian sea rescue effort in Trapani came at the end of yesterday morning's preliminary hearing. The prosecutor asked the Preliminary Hearing Judge for the acquittal of all the defendants in the Iuventa case, accused of aiding and abetting illegal immigration, and the return of the ship, seized in 2017, to its rightful owners. Seven years of investigation, criminalization of sea rescue, wiretapping journalists and lawyers. An intelligence operation, turned into a trial, based on the statements of three IMI security agents deemed unreliable. (Photo by Isabelle Ferro)