Overview

• On July 18, Palermo prosecutors filed a rare ricorso per saltum directly to the Supreme Court, challenging Matteo Salvini’s December acquittal in the Open Arms migrant-rescue case.
• The appeal argues the first-instance court accepted the facts but misinterpreted international conventions by ruling Italy had no duty to assign a safe port.
• Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced the move as ‘‘surreal overkill,’’ and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio vowed to introduce legislation banning challenges to acquittals.
• Salvini and his defense team insist the tribunal fully addressed both factual and legal issues, affirming that ‘‘defending national borders is not a crime.’’
• Legal observers warn the unprecedented bypass of appellate review raises concerns about procedural fairness and could intensify Italy’s debate over justice reform.