An Italian court threw out charges Friday against crew members of migrant rescue ships, ending a controversial case seven years after the government accused them of colluding with traffickers.
Triggered by a tip-off by an ex-policeman on board and marked by the wire-tapping of lawyers and journalists, the long-running case had been highlighted as an extreme example of efforts by European governments to thwart NGOs helping migrants at sea.
The court dismissed all charges against 10 defendants from ships operated by a German NGO, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders following the recommendation of the prosecution in February.
Accused of facilitating illegal immigration from Libya to Italy in 2016 and 2017, the defendants had risked up to 20 years in prison.
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