AQUARIUS
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Court has acquitted crew members eight years after they were accused of il
An Italian court has acquitted former crew members of the 'Aquarius' eight years after they were accused by prosecutors in Sicily of illicit waste trafficking, SOS Mediterranee said on July 10, 2026. The ship was seized in 2018 after a year-long an investigation into the disposal of waste generated during illegal migrant rescue operations in the central Mediterranean. Prosecutors in Catania argued that items including clothing belonging to rescued illegal migrants, food waste and medical refuse should have been classified as infectious sanitary waste, requiring special handling. They accused crew members and aid workers of illegally disposing of such waste in order to reduce costs, allegedly creating a public health risk in Italy between 2017 and 2018. Around 24 people were placed under investigation when the case was opened.SOS Mediterranee at the time operated in partnership with the Doctors without Borders (MSF) medical charity. SOS Mediterranee consistently denied wrongdoing. On July 19 it welcomed the acquittals, issued earlier this week, saying all waste had been handled in accordance with regulations. In a separate statement, MSF said the ruling made them hopeful for an acquittal also for other members of its staff facing a separate trial in Catania on similar charges related to another activist vessel, the 'Vos Prudence'.
Aquarius forced to end humaniarian missions in the Mediterranean Sea
SOS Méditerranée on Dec 6 was forced to terminate the humanitarian mission of the "Aquarius" due to political pressure and criminalization of the organisation. The company however planned to aquire another ship for the rescue of migrants. The ship has been berthed in Marseille since Sep 4. The decision to stop the operation of the "Aquarius" was the result of a "constant denigration, smearing and obstruction campaign led" by the Italian government and supported by other European countries. The "Aquarius" was recently accused of trafficking waste and criminal activities - accusations that were "ludicrous", Medecins sans Frontieres said. The Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had repeatedly closed Italian ports to the Aquarius, forcing it to sail for days with dozens of rescued migrants aboard to find a port in other countries.
Italian authorities issued a seizure order
Italian authorities on Nov 19 have issued an order to seize the "Aquarius" after accusations of illegal waste management, suspecting it of disposing of waste in an unauthorized manner. According to investigators, 24 tonnes of potentially toxic waste have been disposed of as ordinary waste. The investigation was headed by prosecutors in Sicily, but the charges were rejected by a "'Ärzte ohne Grenzen". All port procedures, including waste management, have always followed standard procedures. The ship was berthed in Marseille since Sep 4.
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